photo c. 1925                                                                                                       photo c. 2009

John Shaw Jr. of Chester Co. PA. was born in 1761 and in 1804 he purchased 400 acres of military land abutting along the Greenville Treaty line and brought his family to Ohio. They stopped at a settlement along the Whetstone and in 1808 he proposed to his son, Johnathan, that if he went ahead and settled the land he would give him his choice of 100 acres. Johnathan and his wife chose a beautiful section in the northern tract along a creek now known as Shaw Creek. Johnathan built the first round log, the first hewn log and the first brick house in what was to be known as Shaw Town.

Shaw House was built in 1834 by John Shaw. It is one of two twin houses. The other was built in 1832 by his son Johnathan but the house no longer survives. This is the oldest brick house in Morrow and Delaware Counties.

During the war of 1812 families were often obliged to go to Fort Morrow, several miles away, for protection from local Native Americans. Rumor has it that even as late as 1834, Native Americans were troubling the residents of Shaw Town. Local legend tells us that Native Americans attacked this house while it was being built and 2 Native Americans and a local boy were killed.

The clay for the bricks was dug locally and fired right on the property. This brick house is a stately reminder of days past and is a clue to the grander days of a ghostown known as Shaw Town Village.