{"nrhp_refnum":"79003947","name":"Steamboat Hotel","other_names":["Wells Inn"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"532 Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Vermilion","county":"Erie County","state":"OH","lat":41.42372771200007,"lon":-82.36633510899998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-11-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Commerce"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story wood-frame Greek Revival building at the southwest corner of Main and Huron streets in Vermilion, Erie County, Ohio, dating to 1838 with an expansion in 1865. It was built as a hotel and later became a residence.","why_significant":"It is described as one of Vermilion's finest Greek Revival buildings. As the Wells Inn, it catered to lake traffic and is an important tie to Lake Erie transportation and its impact on Vermilion. Township trustees and the school board also once met there.","narrative":"Standing at the southwest corner of Main and Huron streets in Vermilion, this two-story wood-frame building began as a hotel in 1838 and was expanded in 1865. Known by several names, including the Wells Inn, it served travelers arriving by Lake Erie. The Greek Revival design shows good proportions, plain and massive detailing, and broad, powerful eaves. The entranceway is unusual and may be a later addition, as is the east porch. The T-shaped building has a stone foundation, a gable roof with asphalt shingles, and wood ornament. It is now a residence on a large lot with mature shade trees and shrubbery. It sits opposite the Great Lakes Marine Museum. Township trustees and the school board once met here. It is considered one of the town's finest Greek Revival buildings and an important reminder of how lake transportation shaped Vermilion.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Greek Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Currently used as a residence; the grounds are described as well maintained with large shade trees and shrubbery.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:12.24678-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/79003947.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79003947/d14f3e46e1-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79003947/d14f3e46e1-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"LeeG7144","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Steamboat_Hotel.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">LeeG7144</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Steamboat_Hotel.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71984942","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q137784353"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/erie-county/steamboat-hotel-79003947/"}