{"nrhp_refnum":"01001065","name":"Fostoria Downtown Historic District","other_names":[],"category":"district","location":{"address":"Roughly bounded by North St., South St. and the alleys E and W of Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Fostoria","county":"Seneca County","state":"OH","lat":41.15723211900004,"lon":-83.41446102004826,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2001-09-28","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Commerce"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A linear downtown commercial historic district in Fostoria, Seneca County, Ohio, centered on Main Street and roughly bounded by North Street, South Street and the alleys east and west of Main. It covers about 14 acres and holds 52 contributing and 4 noncontributing buildings, mostly late 19th and early 20th century.","why_significant":"The district holds the most concentrated collection of late 19th and early 20th century commercial buildings in Fostoria. It is significant for its architecture, including Italianate, Commercial style and Art Deco buildings, and for commerce. Its development is tied to the five railroad lines that crossed the city in the 19th century.","narrative":"Downtown Fostoria, in Seneca County, Ohio, is a roughly three-block-long commercial district along Main Street, covering about 14 acres. It holds 56 buildings, mostly one to three stories and built of brick with stone, terra cotta, architectural glass and pressed metal trim. Most date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries and sit close to the sidewalk, forming a continuous wall of facades. Italianate blocks such as the Quinn Block of 1884 and the Andes Opera Block of 1878 stand beside a terra cotta Weller Building, an Art Deco black-and-white brick building from the 1930s, and a curved glass storefront. The district was recognized for its architecture and its role in local commerce between 1870 and 1951. Its growth followed the arrival of five railroad lines by the 1880s, which made Fostoria a busy junction. A former Lake Erie & Western depot and a 1950s City Hall are also included.","period_of_significance":"1870-1951","architect_builder":"None identified","architectural_style":"Late Victorian: Italianate; Late 19th and early 20th century American: Commercial style; Modern Movement: Art Deco, Modernistic","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Mostly commercial buildings still standing, many with altered storefronts. The former fire station now serves as a museum and the former Norfolk & Western station is also included. A few vacant lots exist where buildings were demolished.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:07.820804-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/01001065.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71991287","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":null},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/seneca-county/fostoria-downtown-historic-district-01001065/"}