{"nrhp_refnum":"78002110","name":"Root, William H., House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"3535 E. Erie Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Lorain","county":"Lorain County","state":"OH","lat":41.48437508100005,"lon":-82.13108175599996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-09-20","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Politics/Government","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A large two-story Greek Revival farmhouse at 3535 East Erie Avenue in Lorain, Ohio, on a wooded Lake Erie lot. It was built between 1845 and 1850 for William H. Root.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it an excellent example of Greek Revival style with fine craftsmanship and distinctive ornament. Its large size reflects the prosperity of its original owner. It is one of a handful of pre-Civil War lakefront farmhouses in Lorain County and the best survivor, and it is the city's only major Greek Revival example. It also keeps a rural setting within an urbanized area.","narrative":"Built between 1845 and 1850 on a wooded lot along Lake Erie, this large two-story wood-frame farmhouse in Lorain, Ohio, shows the Greek Revival style at its fullest. The clapboard front has five bays and a central doorway framed by sloping, Egyptian-influenced molding. The gable carries a strong cornice with partial returns. Inside, a central hall runs the length of the house, and the parlors have fluted pilasters and an articulated entablature. William H. Root, son of Sheffield pioneer Henry Root, farmed, ran a steam sawmill on the Black River and served as justice of the peace. The house stayed in the Root family until 1976. It is described as one of only a few pre-Civil War lakefront farmhouses in Lorain County, the best survivor, and the city's only major Greek Revival example. Probate records date it, and it may be the work of Ezra Jackson, who is credited with a similar house nearby.","period_of_significance":"1845-50","architect_builder":"Ezra Jackson","architectural_style":"Greek Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Recently rehabilitated: the front portion was restored with new wiring and heating, the rear wing was remodeled into a kitchen and family room, and the exterior was cleaned and repainted. The form marks it as occupied.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:09.79035-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/78002110.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002110/5197b38ff5-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002110/5197b38ff5-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_H._Root_House.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_H._Root_House.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71989839","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138508670"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/lorain-county/root-william-h-house-78002110/"}