{"nrhp_refnum":"86002882","name":"Bissman Block","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"193 N. Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Mansfield","county":"Richland County","state":"OH","lat":40.76367292800006,"lon":-82.51538211799993,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-10-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A four-story industrial warehouse and office building at 193 North Main Street in Mansfield, Richland County, Ohio, built in 1886 in a High Victorian Gothic style. Local stone contractors Hancock and Dow crafted its main facade.","why_significant":"The nomination presents it as one of the most elaborately designed industrial/warehouse buildings in Richland County and an excellent example of 1880s High Victorian architecture. It also shows the craftsmanship of Hancock and Dow and reflects the Bissman Company's long contribution to Mansfield's commercial base as a wholesale grocery and later beer distributor.","narrative":"Built in 1886 at 193 North Main Street in Mansfield, this four-story building served as the warehouse and headquarters of the Bissman Company, a wholesale grocery firm founded in 1878. Its stone main facade, made by local contractors Hancock and Dow, has carved piers, patterned spandrels, pilasters with pyramidal finials and an elaborate cornice. A balcony and wall dormer were added around 1910-20 after a fire destroyed the original clock tower. Inside, the first-floor offices keep original oak paneling, brass hardware and an ornate safe, while the upper floors remain open warehouse space with post and beam construction. The location beside the railroad reflected Mansfield's role as a wholesale distribution center. The company sold groceries until 1971 and beer from the early 1900s onward, and it stayed in the Bissman family for four generations. The building was recognized for its architecture, its craftsmanship and its place in the city's commercial history.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"Hancock and Dow (contractors)","architectural_style":"High Victorian Gothic","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Listed as unoccupied/vacant in the classification section, with condition marked good and the building described as remarkably intact. The same form says the company has remained a beer distributor to the present.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:14.401535-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/86002882.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86002882/342120bf8f-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86002882/342120bf8f-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bissman_Block.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bissman_Block.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71991124","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q112690839"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/richland-county/bissman-block-86002882/"}