East State Street-Elmwood Place Historic District

This residential district in Athens, Ohio, takes in houses along East State Street and the first block and a half of Elmwood Place, a short walk from uptown and Ohio University. Of its 113 buildings, 95 contribute to its character, and the houses date from 1835 to 1952. They show a wide range of styles, from a Greek Revival house said to be the town's oldest continually occupied residence to Italianate, Queen Anne, Dutch Colonial, Tudor Revival, Craftsman, Foursquare and Ranch designs. Elmwood Place keeps its brick paving and a canopy of mature trees. Most of the area was once small farms leased from the university, which owned the land, and building boomed after 1900 as the town and its professional class grew. Many residents were prominent local citizens and university professors. The district was listed because it preserves a rare, intact group of varied historic homes closely tied to the development of Athens and the university.