Dew House
Also known as: Hotel Dew; Ohio House
Why it's listed
Dew House is a three-story brick hotel on Public Square in Nelsonville, Ohio, with a two-story commercial block attached on the north. It was erected in 1878 by James Dew, who appears to have incorporated the older Ohio House, a two-story masonry hotel built in 1839 on lots bought by his uncle Thomas Dew. The building has a slate hipped roof with bracketed cornice, and a two-story porch was added between 1907 and 1912. Its listing rests on its link to Nelsonville's growth as a coal-mining town served by the Hocking Valley Canal and Railroad. The hotel served as a Civil War recruiting office, reportedly had the area's first telephone, and hosted political speeches by several presidents. Taft and Roosevelt spoke from the porch during the 1912 Republican primary race. As mining declined, the hotel became a rooming house, then welfare housing, and closed in 1975. County plans in 1978 aimed to renovate it for elderly housing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the Dew House reflects the economic, social and political history of Nelsonville, whose growth followed the Hocking Valley Canal and Railroad and the coal boom. The hotel expanded in 1878 as the town grew and served as a community focus for social and political events. Presidents and candidates spoke there, including Taft and Roosevelt in the 1912 primary campaign.
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 78002006, listed October 2, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Public Sq., Nelsonville |
|---|---|
| County | Athens County |
| Listed | October 2, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002006 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The hotel closed in 1975 rather than comply with fire code requirements; county plans in 1978 proposed renovating it as elderly housing. Condition is marked fair and altered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Nelsonville Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.46006, -82.23197 (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 78002006.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q137460482
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.