{"nrhp_refnum":"79001982","name":"Kerr, Benjamin F., House","other_names":["Kerr House"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"17605 Beaver St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Grand Rapids","county":"Wood County","state":"OH","lat":41.410320039000055,"lon":-83.86793425699994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-12-21","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 2-story brick Queen Anne style residence at Beaver and Third Streets in Grand Rapids, Wood County, Ohio, built about 1885 and designed by Toledo architect Edward O. Fallis for merchant Benjamin F. Kerr.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is an excellent early example of Queen Anne architecture in Northwest Ohio, with transitional features such as the tower placed over the main entrance. It is described as the only true Queen Anne residence in Grand Rapids and the town's most prominent landmark. It is also tied to Kerr, the town's leading merchant for about 30 years.","narrative":"Overlooking the canal town of Grand Rapids, Ohio, from a small bluff, this 2-story brick house was built about 1885 for merchant Benjamin F. Kerr. Toledo architect Edward O. Fallis prepared the designs. The house shows the Queen Anne style in its irregular roofline with multiple gables, slate roofing, molded chimneys, a tower over the main entrance, and porches on every side with distinctive bowed posts. Inside are hardwood woodwork, stained and leaded glass, original brass hardware, and tiled fireplaces. The nomination considers it an early example of the style, with transitional features drawn from earlier architecture, and the only true Queen Anne residence in the village. Kerr arrived in Grand Rapids in 1866 and became its leading merchant, also owning grain elevators and serving on the village council. The house stayed with his family until 1978, when new owners began restoring it, reproducing missing porch details and other features.","period_of_significance":"1885","architect_builder":"Edward O. Fallis","architectural_style":"Queen Anne","criteria":[],"status_note":"Undergoing complete restoration and renovation, with plans to use it as a health retreat; condition marked good.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:12.549377-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/79001982.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79001982/3df7a9bb7b-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79001982/3df7a9bb7b-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Benjamin_F._Kerr_House.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Benjamin_F._Kerr_House.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71992030","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138766291"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/wood-county/kerr-benjamin-f-house-79001982/"}