Uniopolis Town Hall
Also known as: Divinity Church of the United Brethren in Christ
Why it's listed
Originally built as a church by the United Brethren congregation by 1880, this small frame building on Ohio Street in Uniopolis, Ohio, became the village town hall in 1901. The congregation had dwindled and its trustees sold the building to the newly incorporated village for $678. The village council had been meeting above a grocery. The rectangular, gable-fronted building has white bevelled siding, lancet-shaped windows and a simple pine-floored main room with a raised stage. Additions were made in 1910, 1919 and 1953, and the steeple, later a square bell tower, was removed in 1953. Beyond council meetings, the hall hosted school programs, commencement exercises, farmers' institutes, dances, wedding receptions, fire department gatherings and traveling shows, and it once held three jail cells. Its importance rests on this role in community life rather than its architecture. After the council considered demolition in 1993, residents formed a historical society and leased the building in 1994.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues significance under Criterion A in the area of social history, not for its modest architecture or builders. After the church congregation dissolved, the village bought the building and used it for government, education, entertainment and community gatherings for decades. It is presented as the building that best embodies the life of the village and surrounding area.
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 94000773, listed July 22, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Ohio St. (OH 67) E of jct. with Main St., Uniopolis |
|---|---|
| County | Auglaize County |
| Listed | July 22, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000773 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1901-1944 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century/Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Village council planned demolition in 1993; local citizens formed the Uniopolis Historical Society, which received a five-year lease on the building in early 1994. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.60228, -84.08739 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 94000773.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7886896
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.