Just Askin': What is the oldest historic building in Ohio?

The Enquirer's Just Askin' series aims to answer the questions that no one seems to have an answer for, not even Google .

The settling of Ohio began in 1788 in what was then known as the Northwest Territory. The Northwest Territory would eventually become Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and part of Minnesota. And predating colonization, Native Americans called this land home.

Ohio was admitted to the Union as the 17th state in 1803, but the area's history traces back further.

More than 220 years after its founding, some places have been designated historic to the state's history. That includes Native American mounds, old schoolhouses, museums, nature preserves and more.

While many buildings from early settlements no longer remain, some still stand. Which one is the oldest?

What is the oldest historic building in Ohio?

The Ohio History Connection used these criteria when determining the oldest historic building: The building must still be standing and the building must have been part of a permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory.

Under those criteria, the oldest historic building is the Rufus Putnam House , in Marietta. It was originally built between 1760-1765. It is still standing but is now enclosed and preserved inside Marietta's Campus Martius Museum.

Here's the story behind the Rufus Putnam House, according to the museum: Shortly after Marietta was established as the first permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory on April 7, 1788, the Ohio Company built a stockade to house and protect the members of the company during the Ohio Indian Wars of 1790 to 1794.

By 1795, the fortification was no longer necessary after the signing of the Treaty of Greenville. Buildings that were part of the stockade were then dismantled, and the wood planks were reused to build homes located throughout Marietta.

The Rufus Putnam House was part of the original stockade. It is named for General Rufus Putnam , an engineer and soldier of the War for Independence, and later organizer of settlement in the Northwest Territory. He purchased the house in 1781 and lived there until 1788.

Other buildings enter the conversation when considering different criteria, according to Ohio History Connection spokesperson Neil Thompson. That includes the Old Stone Fort in Coshocton, possibly built in the 1690s, though its origins are uncertain. Also Fort Steuben, which claims February 1787, but the original structure is long gone. Finally, there is the Conner Cabin at Schoenbrunn Village, which was originally constructed in 1775 and reconstructed in 1935.

Do you have a question for Just Askin'? Send it to us at localnews@enquirer.com .

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Just Askin': What is the oldest historic building in Ohio?