John Bateman House Site
Bateman Tannery Site
John Bateman was a local tanner who had his house, storehouse, and workshop on this site. The house now located at 440 South Main was built circa 1869 by Joseph Haines, a carpenter who built a number of Springboro homes in the mid and late 1800s. Bateman Tannery, which once stood at 450 South Main, was a “station” on the Underground Railroad, a place that offered assistance to runaway slaves during their flight to freedom. According to local history, the tannery was an excellent hiding place for runaway slaves because strong odors generated by the tanning process kept slave catchers and their dogs away.
Marker is at the intersection of Main Street (Ohio Route 741) and South Street, on the right when traveling north on Main Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
