Charles F. Kettering House

The Charles F. Kettering House is a historic house on Ridgeleigh Road in Kettering, Ohio. Built in 1914, and reconstructed after a fire in 1995, it was the primary residence of inventor Charles F. Kettering, founder of Delco Electronics. The Tudor Revival house, also known as Ridgeleigh Terrace, was the first house in the United States with electric air conditioning using freon.[3] The reconstructed house is now owned by Kettering Medical Center, which operates it as a conference center. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977.[2]

Charles F. Kettering House
Seen through a row of trees
LocationRidgeleigh Rd., Kettering, Ohio
Coordinates39°41′37″N 84°11′38″W
Area11 acres (4.5 ha)
Built1914
ArchitectSchenck & Williams
Architectural stylePrairie School, Tudor Revival
NRHP reference No.77001080
Significant dates
Added to NRHPDecember 22, 1977[1]
Designated NHLDecember 22, 1977[2]

Description and history

The Charles F. Kettering House is located on Kettering's west side, on a hill overlooking the grounds of both Kettering College and Kettering Medical Center. It is a large Tudor Revival structure, originally designed by the Dayton firm of Schenck & Williams and built in 1914. The original building was destroyed by fire in 1995 and was rebuilt with significant modifications from the original blueprints, primarily to the upper floors, which were redesigned to accommodate the building's function as a conference center.[4]

Charles Kettering was a successful inventor, businessman, and philanthropist. His inventions of a reliable car engine ignition system, discovery of tetraethyl lead as a fuel additive to avoid engine knocking, and the development of freon, all contributed to the spread of the automobile in the United States. His philanthropy included founding of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.[5]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. "Charles F. Kettering House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2008-01-19. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  3. Pagano, Sohayla (Editor). "Charles F. Kettering". History. Ohio History Central. Retrieved July 2, 2015.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  4. "History Station 5: Kettering Medical Center". Kettering Parks Foundation. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  5. "National Historic Landmark nomination for Charles F. Kettering House". National Park Service. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
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