Universalist Church Historic District
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
Four early buildings along Montgomery Road in Montgomery, Ohio, form a small historic district that preserves the look of the village's earliest decades. The centerpiece is the Universalist Church of 1837, a brick Classic Revival building with rounded brick columns, an octagonal wooden cupola and original box pews. It was built by James Jones from brick fired on site, on a lot donated by John and Elizabeth Vail, and is believed to be the first Universalist church in Ohio. Nearby are a Federal-style brick residence from the 1820s, the 1827 Old Manse, once a Presbyterian parsonage, and the Pioneer Building, home to community leader Abraham Slaughter and later the village physician. Together they were described as the only surviving evidence of the early village and a contrast to modern commercial development around them. The Old Manse was demolished in 1971, after the district was listed in 1970.
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 | 1820-1837 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Classic Revival (church); Federal (residences) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Boundary source | not published |
| Full listing page | Universalist Church 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.