Warner, Asahel, House
Why it's listed
Built about 1810 on West Main Street in Lima, this large frame house was erected by Asahel Warner, one of the town's earliest settlers and most prominent citizens. It is two stories, three bays wide, with its gable end facing the street and fourteen rooms. In the 1860s and 1870s it was updated with Italianate features, including miter-arched window lintels, floor-length first-floor windows, hip-roofed porches and a decorative surround for the oculus window in the front gable. Its most notable feature is a third-floor Masonic meeting room with a dais, arched canopy and perimeter benches, where Lima Masons first met and continued to meet until 1825. The house probably also served as an inn along the State Road. A barn, shed and former chicken house at the rear recall the property's farming past, when Warner worked 300 to 500 acres. The property was listed for its architecture and its link to local agriculture and early community life.
Significance in brief: The house is a representative example of nineteenth-century domestic architecture in Lima, with a vernacular early form overlaid by Italianate details. Its third-floor Masonic meeting room, dating from about 1810, survives nearly intact. It is also tied to Asahel Warner, an early settler and civic leader, and to nineteenth-century farming in Lima through its surviving farm outbuildings.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 89001139, listed August 31, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 7136 W. Main St., Lima |
|---|---|
| County | Livingston County |
| Listed | August 31, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001139 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1810; ca. 1860s/70s - ca. 1900 |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; builder attributed to Asahel Warner |
| Architectural style | Italianate remodeling of an early nineteenth-century vernacular frame house |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Private residence in good condition; the original site is retained and no threats are known. |
| Acreage | 1.7 |
| Coordinates | 42.90251, -77.62069 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 89001139.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4803338
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.