Marsh, Martin Luther, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1873 at 254 Boulder Street in Nevada City, this two-story wooden house was the home of Martin Luther Marsh, a Gold Rush arrival from Ohio who turned from mining to carpentry and sawmill work. He later served on the county Board of Supervisors and helped plan the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad. The house has a cupola with arched windows, quoined corners, pedimented windows, modillioned cornice and a veranda on four pillars. Inside, a central hall divides parlors, a sitting room and dining room, with five bedrooms upstairs. Its plan closely resembles a design published in an 1852 architectural pattern book. After Marsh died in 1911 the home was eventually abandoned, and his granddaughter and her husband bought and began restoring it in 1954. Its lack of alteration and period furnishings make it a notable early California residence. The nominated property covers the main house only, not the later outbuildings.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an exceptionally well-preserved, virtually unaltered example of restrained Georgian-derived design, unlike the flamboyant eclecticism then emerging in California's cities. Its form resembles a design in an 1850s Eastern stylebook, and it retains period furnishings. It is also tied to Marsh, a carpenter, sawmill operator and local civic figure.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 73000415, listed April 11, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 254 Boulder St., Nevada City |
|---|---|
| County | Nevada County |
| Listed | April 11, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000415 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1873 |
| Architectural style | Described in the nomination as primarily Georgian derivation; a reviewer's note says it should instead be described as Italianate villa style, early Victorian. |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as in good condition, virtually unaltered since 1873, occupied as a private residence. The woodshed, cooks' quarters and barn were noted as lacking historical integrity and were not part of the registration. |
| Acreage | 3.5 |
| Coordinates | 39.26728, -121.01000 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 73000415.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6776083
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.