East State Street-Elmwood Place Historic District
Why it's listed
This residential district in Athens, Ohio, takes in houses along East State Street and the first block and a half of Elmwood Place, a short walk from uptown and Ohio University. Of its 113 buildings, 95 contribute to its character, and the houses date from 1835 to 1952. They show a wide range of styles, from a Greek Revival house said to be the town's oldest continually occupied residence to Italianate, Queen Anne, Dutch Colonial, Tudor Revival, Craftsman, Foursquare and Ranch designs. Elmwood Place keeps its brick paving and a canopy of mature trees. Most of the area was once small farms leased from the university, which owned the land, and building boomed after 1900 as the town and its professional class grew. Many residents were prominent local citizens and university professors. The district was listed because it preserves a rare, intact group of varied historic homes closely tied to the development of Athens and the university.
Significance in brief: The district is argued to be the only remaining in-town area near Ohio University where a contiguous group of historic houses keeps a high degree of architectural integrity and a wide variety of styles. The houses also reflect how Athens grew under the influence of the university, and many were homes of prominent citizens and distinguished professors.
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 10000872, listed October 28, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | East State St 138-234, 169-277l Elmwood 5-73, 6-72, 74, Athens |
|---|---|
| County | Athens County |
| Listed | October 28, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000872 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1835-1952 |
| Architect / builder | Builders named include Henry Boska, Dewey Fisher and George Weaver Towsley; architect William H. Davis, Jr. remodeled one house in 1935. |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Classical Revival, Italian Renaissance, Ranch, Cape Cod |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Largely residential; most houses remain in domestic use, with one or two in the district now student rentals. |
| Acreage | 10.5 |
| Coordinates | 39.33552, -82.09383 (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
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 10000872.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.