Chillicothe
The Willis-James
Publisher Nathaniel Willis's 1805 house, enlarged by ironmaster Thomas James, now a five-room B&B with a three-course breakfast; ages 16 and up.
- Built
- 1805Original house built 1805 by newspaper publisher Nathaniel Willis; Thomas James added a two-story addition in 1812, a Federal arched entrance about 1815, and a Greek Revival wing in the 1830s.
- Style
- Federal and Greek Revival
- Type
- B&B
- Rooms
- 5
- Credentials
- Inside a National Register historic district
The story
Nathaniel Willis, who as a teenager took part in the Boston Tea Party and later published the Scioto Gazette, built the house in 1805. Ironmaster and bank president Thomas James bought it in 1812 and enlarged it twice. In the late 1870s Eleanor Cook, daughter of Ohio’s first governor Edward Tiffin, and her husband Matthew Scott Cook bought it, and her descendants kept it until the late 20th century. The current owners bought the run-down house in 2019 and restored it as a bed and breakfast.
Good to know
- Breakfast: included
- No pets
- Address: 58 West Fifth Street, Chillicothe, OH 45601
Sources (3)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.