The small settlement village of Rittenours was located here. It was founded by the Rittenour Family. The Rittenours are among the oldest, most substantial, and well respected families in Ross County's history. In 1803, Anthony Rittenour left Virginia and brought his family to Jefferson Township. Anthony was born in 1752 and died in 1835 at 83 years of age. He out-lived all of the other pioneers in the county. Anthony fought in the War of 1812. He had 7 children with his wife Margaret: Jacob, Henry, George, Eva, Frederick, William, and Margaret. Anthony had a stone church constructed on his property, where a locally famous preacher named Peter Cartwright taught. It's believed to have been the first religious services held in the township.

I don't believe this house is old enough to have been Anthony's, but it may have been his son Jacob's. All of Anthony's children, except Jacob and those which died at birth or early in life, moved to Indiana. Jacob was born in 1787 and died in 1883 at 95 years of age. He had 4 children with his wife Ann, all of which died early except George. George was a successful man. He owned several thousand acres of land in Ross County. His hardware business in Chillicothe made him quite wealthy.