At the age of twenty, approximately three years after being apprenticed to a blacksmith, he married the former Juliana Godfrey, also a native of Tazewell County.

Three years later, they moved to Union Township where he carved a farm out of the wilderness;[3] they were among the first settlers of what today is eastern Auglaize County.

[3]: 766  Rinehart was a leading member of Auglaize County society as well as a longtime local politician: he served as a justice of the peace for fifteen years and was twice an unsuccessful candidate for a seat in the Ohio General Assembly.

[3]: 410 Rinehart built the current house in 1861 along the road between Waynesfield and Wapakoneta, which is now State Route 67.

[4] Inside, the house is built primarily of walnut wood panelling that closely resembles its original state.