{"nrhp_refnum":"75001477","name":"Pray-Starkweather House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"144 N. River Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Waterville","county":"Lucas County","state":"OH","lat":41.50153898600007,"lon":-83.71657922899999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1975-05-29","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story frame Greek Revival house at 144 North River Road in Waterville, Lucas County, Ohio, built in 1837 by Oliver Pray and used as a hotel and local meeting place.","why_significant":"It is presented as a fine example of Greek Revival architecture with an unusual entryway featuring sidelights and a sunburst motif. It is also tied to Oliver Pray, nephew of Waterville's founder John Pray, who ran the house as an inn during the canal era, when it hosted township trustees and social gatherings.","narrative":"Built in 1837 on North River Road in Waterville, this two-story frame house was constructed by Oliver Pray, a nephew of Waterville founder John Pray who came to Ohio from Rhode Island around 1835. Pray operated it as an inn, and during the canal era it likely filled with travelers. Township trustees and others also met there for business and social gatherings. Pray sold the property to Richard Starkweather in 1854, and an inscription in the plaster of an upstairs closet records the sale price of $1,000. The gable-end house is three bays wide and is regarded as a fine example of local Greek Revival design. Its main feature is the recessed entrance with panelled molding, sidelights, a rectangular cornice with carved corner blocks, and a delicate elliptical sunburst where a transom might be expected. Later additions include a one-story south wing and a porch, and the house has been well maintained as a private residence.","period_of_significance":"19th Century (specific date 1837)","architect_builder":"Oliver Pray (original owner and builder of the hotel)","architectural_style":"Greek Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed in good condition, altered, on its original site; used as a private residence.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:10.305219-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/75001477.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001477/860bea3bbc-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001477/860bea3bbc-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pray-Starkweather_House.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pray-Starkweather_House.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71989913","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138559155"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/lucas-county/pray-starkweather-house-75001477/"}