Washington Court House Commercial Historic District

Downtown Washington Court House, Ohio, is a 19.2-acre commercial district arranged around the Fayette County Courthouse. Of its 58 buildings, 47 are counted as contributing. Together they form a compendium of styles from about 1850 to the early 1920s, including Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Neoclassical and vernacular designs. Many storefronts at street level have been altered over time, but the upper floors and overall scale remain recognizable. The district reflects how the town grew as a trade center for a farming county. Building booms followed the arrival of the railroad in 1853, the prosperity of the 1870s, and completion of the courthouse in 1885. Notable examples include the Greek Revival building of 1854, the McLean Block of 1874, the Italianate Midland Block, the Queen Anne Dennis Block, a 1912 Masonic Temple, and two railroad buildings. Weekly livestock auctions on city streets beginning in 1873 also shaped its commercial role.