Herrold, Thomas Jefferson, House and Store
Why it's listed
Built in 1882 at 234 West Washington Street in Athens, this three-story brick building combined a grocery and meat packing plant on the ground floor with the family residence on the two floors above. Thomas Jefferson Herrold, son of mill owner and entrepreneur Joseph Herrold, built it in a Victorian Italianate style adapted for commercial use. Features include a low truncated hip slate roof, ornate wooden eave brackets, long hooded windows, and a sandstone foundation. A frame shed and later additions were attached, and a neighboring brick building collapsed in 1960. The property was sold out of the family in 1908 and remained a grocery until 1957, then served briefly as a photographic studio before becoming a tavern in 1960. The Herrold family was prominent in Athens County, arriving in 1798, and this building is the last physical evidence of its influence. The surrounding neighborhood once held a professional black community and later a night-life district.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is the last remaining physical evidence of the Herrold family, who played a major role in the history and industry of Athens County. It is also a key commercial building in a secondary commercial neighborhood once home to a professional black community and later a night-life district.
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 80002937, listed November 21, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 234 W. Washington St., Athens |
|---|---|
| County | Athens County |
| Listed | November 21, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80002937 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Built for Thomas Jefferson Herrold |
| Architectural style | Victorian Italianate as adapted for commercial use |
| Areas of significance | Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a tavern since 1960; the form says the building is being restored and its condition is rated fair. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.33235, -82.11011 (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 80002937.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137599579
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.