High Street Commercial Block (Boundary Increase)
The National Park Service has not published a boundary polygon for this district; the map shows the listed properties inside it and the district's reference point.
Why it's listed
Three connected three-story buildings at 228, 232 and 236 High Street form a commercial block on Hamilton's historic main street. They were built between 1874 and 1878 and have sandstone façades in Italianate and First Renaissance Revival styles. The westernmost, built in 1874 for the Second National Bank, is linked internally to the center Howell-Sohngen Building, built in 1875 for a dry goods store. The eastern Davis-McCrory Building is described as a rare local example of First Renaissance Revival design. Later tenants included grocery, shoe, department and variety stores, and each first floor was altered over time. A metal false front added in the 1950s was removed in 1993, leaving partial cornices. Upper floors keep most original wood and metal windows, plaster walls and pressed tin ceilings, along with a bank vault and traces of skylit atria added around 1902 to 1907. The block was recognized for its architecture and its role in the commercial life of Hamilton and Butler County.
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). Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1874-1953 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Italianate; First Renaissance Revival |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Boundary source | not published |
| Full listing page | High Street Commercial Block (Boundary Increase) (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.