Marks-Family House
Why it's listed
Built in 1902 at 233 North Franklin Street in Delphos, Ohio, this ornate one-and-one-half story brick house is a Queen Anne design with eclectic details. Exterior features include a corner tower with a slate conical roof and wood pinnacle, leaded glass windows set in arched openings, a Colonial Revival swan's neck pediment, and a wraparound porch carried on grouped half columns with Ionic capitals. The truncated hip roof is slate, with an ornate gabled dormer on each side. Inside, a long central hall leads to a high oak staircase beneath a twelve-foot stained glass skylight. Painted trompe l'oeil stonework, landscape murals in the upper hall and handpainted floral trim in the bedrooms survive, along with original woodwork, hardware, light fixtures and much of the furniture. The house was listed for its architectural detail, elegant interior and near-original condition. It was nominated at the owners' request because a neighboring bank was building a drive-through facility close by and rezoning for commercial use had been attempted.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant for its outstanding and rich Queen Anne architectural detail, its elegant interior and its near-original condition. It has been excellently maintained. It was nominated at the owners' request because encroaching commercial development, including a neighboring bank's drive-through facility and a rezoning attempt, threatens it.
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 82003537, listed April 1, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 233 N. Franklin St., Delphos |
|---|---|
| County | Allen County |
| Listed | April 1, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003537 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne with eclectic details, including Colonial Revival elements |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent, unaltered condition on its original site and excellently maintained; the form marks it unoccupied, and commercial development nearby is described as a threat. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.84440, -84.33714 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 82003537.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6771374
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.