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Center Street Historic District

Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio Listed Ref. 76001362 District
Center Street Historic District, Ashland, Ohio
Photo: Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Why it's listed

Center Street in Ashland, Ohio, was laid out in 1846 and developed into the town's finest residential neighborhood. The district includes 44 homes, nearly all residential, built from the 1840s to the 1920s in Greek Revival, Queen Anne, Prairie, Spanish, Italian, Tudor and other styles. Its larger houses, built between 1896 and 1918, were commissioned by industrialists and civic leaders, among them members of the Myers family, whose pump and farm equipment company brought commercial prosperity to the town. Earlier homes, such as those of the Freer, Damp and Cowan families, were built by bankers, millers and physicians. The nomination presents the street as significant for the variety of its styles, the quality and individuality of its major houses, and the way mature trees and the buildings blend together. Most buildings remain well kept and the street looks much as it did around 1915, though the large F. E. Myers house was abandoned in 1973 and faced demolition.

Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is an architectural expression of two generations of bankers, physicians, merchants and industrialists. It is significant for the variety of styles, the high quality and individuality of the major homes, and the harmonious blending helped by the many trees. It also reflects the prosperity that the Myers family's manufacturing company brought to Ashland.

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 76001362, listed June 18, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).

Key facts

AddressCenter St. from Vernon to 414 Center St., Ashland
CountyAshland County
ListedJune 18, 1976
Reference number76001362
Resource typeDistrict
Period of significance1800-1899, 1900-
Architectural styleVaried styles including Greek Revival, Early Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, Prairie, Spanish, Italian and Tudor
Areas of significanceArchitecture
Level of significanceLocal
Status (as stated in the nomination)Most homes are well maintained and the district remains much as it was in 1915. The F. E. Myers house has been abandoned since 1973 and was expected to be demolished for parking, with a notation indicating it was demolished by August 1975.
Acreage16
Within districtCenter Street Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Coordinates40.86273, -82.31209 (NPS GIS)

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.

Sources and further reading

Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.