Shawnee Historic District
Why it's listed
Shawnee, in Perry County, Ohio, was laid out by T.J. Davis in 1872 and grew quickly as rail lines opened the region's coal fields. By 1880 it had 2,800 residents, and by 1883 it had hotels, five churches, a newspaper and eight to ten nearby mines. The historic district covers about 7.5 acres along Main Street. Its hallmark is the two-story frame building with a storefront below, an apartment above and a full-width wooden porch on the second floor. Larger buildings include the brick IOOF Building, with ornate specially made brick detailing, and the three-story Knights of Labor Building, marked as an opera house erected in 1881. Deep shaft mining has since ended, most businesses have closed, and the population has dropped to 914. Almost none of the late nineteenth century buildings have been demolished. The district was listed as an example of boom town architecture and as a reminder of the coal industry that built the town.
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) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1872-1910 |
|---|---|
| Styles | No single style; the form describes the boom town architecture as eclectic |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Acreage | 7.5 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Shawnee Historic District (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).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.