{"nrhp_refnum":"82003612","name":"Blake, H. G., House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"314 E. Washington St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Medina","county":"Medina County","state":"OH","lat":41.13786434900004,"lon":-81.86023030499996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-09-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Greek Revival house at 314 East Washington Street in Medina, Ohio, begun apparently in 1848 and expanded in stages, on a 1.2-acre lot that also holds a barn foundation and a grape arbor.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house shows how additions were made over time without altering its original Greek Revival character, and it remains a local landmark. It is also tied to residents who were active in Medina's commercial and social life, and it served as an underground railroad station before the Civil War.","narrative":"Located at 314 East Washington Street in Medina, this Greek Revival house was apparently built in 1848 and grew in three stages. The original west wing has a gabled end with a wide cornice and returns, and a doorway with side lights and an entablature. An east wing, possibly added after 1851, has narrower trim and a hipped gable. In 1873 Oliver C. Shepard added an extension that gave the house an L-shaped plan. The roof is slate, and the grounds include a barn foundation and a grape arbor. The house matters for its architecture, since the additions respected the original style, and for its residents. H. G. Blake, founder of the Old Phoenix National Bank and a United States Congressman, lived there from 1856 to 1861, when, according to his daughter, it served as an underground railroad station. From 1873 onward the house passed through the Shepard family and its descendants, who took part in Medina's commercial and social life.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899 (specific dates 1848; 1856-1861; 1896)","architect_builder":"Unknown; records indicate William W. Boardman constructed the original portion, though no reliable information about him exists","architectural_style":"Greek Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied as a private residence; condition listed as excellent and altered.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:14.436105-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/82003612.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82003612/72fb21a29a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82003612/72fb21a29a-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Duds98","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NRHP-H.G._Blake_House.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Duds98</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:NRHP-H.G._Blake_House.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71990233","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138570074"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/medina-county/blake-h-g-house-82003612/"}