RIPLEY, Ohio — Century Farms are those farms that have been in operation under the same family for more than 100 years. For Joe and Mary Bick of Ripley, their family’s homestead spans 200 years, which prompted the U.S. Department of Interior to add the house to its National Register of Historic Places.

“This house and the land hasn’t changed much in six generations,” Mary Bick said proudly. “My great-great-great-grandfather Alexander Martin was an adopted boy who grew up, married and moved to Ohio for a better life. And he build this house from the stones in the adjacent creek – all by hand.”

The original stone structure that Alexander Martin built in 1812 stands firm on Martin Lane just a few miles north of Ripley. The creek that provided stones for the house is a short walk away.

Around the mid-1700s, Alexander Martin and his wife, Jane, left their native Virginia to find their fortunes in Kentucky. One of the couple’s children, Henry, was born in Bourbon County, Ky. When Henry was seven years old his parents crossed the Ohio River into Ohio, which was then part of the Northwest Territory.

In those days, Ohio land was inexpensive, fertile and free from conflict with Native Americans. Henry’s parents purchased several hundred acres, built a log cabin and settled down. It was on this location (just four miles up a hill from present-day Ripley) that Alexander used field and creek stones from nearby Straight Creek and fashioned them into a new home.

The structure back then was called Stonehurst (German for “stone house”). The walls to this structure were made 24 inches thick and are plumb to this day; more than two centuries later, not one wall has settled or cracked. Beams are hewn and one can still see the cuts made in the dark timber.

“There was a pretty strong earthquake in southern Ohio in the 1970s and this house didn’t budge,” Joe said.

Floors made of wide boards of random widths are polished and look as though they were freshly laid. Chimneys were made on the inside and the fireplace is quite big with closets on each side, including batten doors. The entire structure is made of stone. Below the wooden floors are half-logs.

“There’s very little crawlspace between the floor and log,” Mary said. “The house stays real cool on hot summer days, but it can be pretty chilly in the winter. The stone walls don’t keep the cold out much.”

By 1840 Henry built another home on the property. That structure also still stands and is made of native clay baked on location. Scratched onto one of the corner blocks is the year “1840.”

Henry’s son, Samuel, resided in the home in the mid-1800s. His son, Kize (Mary’s grandfather), followed in his footsteps, and was followed by Mary’s father, Robert. Six generations have served as landlords of the 400-acre farm.

“We’re hoping it stays in the family, as we have a son and daughter living in the area,” Mary said.

There are 882 Century Farms in Ohio. Fifty-two were recognized by the Ohio Department of Agriculture in 2011. The Bicks’ house is said to be the oldest in Brown County, and those at the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) list it as the 14th oldest homestead in the state.

Century Farm status is awarded to families who have owned the same farm for at least 100 consecutive years. To commemorate this impressive milestone, each family received a special certificate signed by Gov. John R. Kasich and the director of the ODA to keep with their historic documents and pass down to future generations.

“It’s a marvelous, sturdy structure made from stones found in a nearby creek,” Joe said. “Hard to believe one man made such a good, sturdy house with his bare hands.”