[1] It was built by German immigrant Oscar Janssen in 1852, sitting atop a bluff above the Scioto River and the rest of the city of Chillicothe; its location and architectural style were intended to resemble that of castles overlooking the Rhine in his homeland.

After Janssen's lifetime, the Mountain House passed into the hands of designer and papermaker Dard Hunter.

Purchasing the house in 1919, Hunter converted it into a production center for his handmade paper and hand-carven type.

Here he produced a wide range of books, publishing them under the banner of the Mountain House Press, and gradually he built a worldwide reputation.

[1] It qualified for this distinction both because of its well-preserved historic architecture and because of its connection to Hunter, who was seen as a significant person in local history.