{"nrhp_refnum":"86002864","name":"Hancock and Dow Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"21 E. Fourth St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Mansfield","county":"Richland County","state":"OH","lat":40.76108477500003,"lon":-82.51490865099998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1987-02-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story brick commercial building with a sandstone facade at 21 East Fourth Street in Mansfield, Richland County, Ohio, built in 1887 by the contracting firm Hancock and Dow.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is significant under Criterion C for its architectural quality and its close link to Hancock and Dow, Mansfield's leading local building firm. It is the only known building bearing the firm's name and shows its stone-cutting craftsmanship. It is also described as an excellent late 19th century commercial building with one of the most distinctive sandstone facades in downtown Mansfield.","narrative":"Standing at 21 East Fourth Street in Mansfield, this three-story brick commercial building was completed in 1887 and is notable for its elaborate sandstone facade. Rough-faced stone on the upper floors is worked into segmental arches, voussoirs, belt courses, scrolls and brackets, topped by a raised central gable carved with the words \"Hancock and Dow, 1887.\" The building was constructed by Robert G. Hancock and William Dow, partners from 1873 to 1908 and regarded as Mansfield's leading builders, best known for stonework. It is the only known building carrying their name, though they never occupied it. Ground-floor storefronts held shops, with offices and an Elks Hall above, and by 1914 a dry goods store and residential hotel use had followed. Inside, wide stairways, wood moldings and slate mantels survive. The building was listed for its architecture and its tie to this firm.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"Robert G. Hancock and William Dow","architectural_style":"Eclectic Romanesque Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Listed as occupied and in good condition but altered; the interior is largely intact but in need of rehabilitation, and storefront transoms are obscured by wood boarding.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:15.246867-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/86002864.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86002864/e990edee38-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86002864/e990edee38-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"User:OHWiki","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hancock_and_Dow_Building.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">User:OHWiki</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hancock_and_Dow_Building.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"100004214","name":"Downtown Mansfield Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/ohio/downtown-mansfield-historic-district-100004214/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71991114","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138663607"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/richland-county/hancock-and-dow-building-86002864/"}