Wayne County Courthouse District
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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 Second Empire buildings form a small district at the heart of Wooster, Ohio: the Jacob Frick Building, the Wayne County Courthouse and the Wayne County Office Building. All have mansard roofs and were built between about 1865 and 1878. The Frick Building, a brick structure from around 1865, was put up by a dry goods merchant turned grain dealer and banker, with storefronts below and rental space above. The stone courthouse of 1878 replaced earlier courthouses, one lost to fire in 1828 and another condemned as unsafe in 1877. Architect Thomas Boyd designed it, W. M. Keyser built it, and it cost about $75,000. It has a five-story clock tower. The two-story Office Building, finished in 1868 and still used for county offices, lost its tower, dormers and slate roof to later alterations. Together the group was listed as a showcase of Second Empire design.
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 | 19th Century (buildings built circa 1866-1868) |
|---|---|
| Styles | Second Empire |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Boundary source | not published |
| Full listing page | Wayne County Courthouse 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.