Belmont Historic District
Why it's listed
Belmont is a small railroad village in Belmont County, Ohio, and its historic district takes in the original plat plus a stretch of Jefferson Street to the south. Joseph Wright laid out the unusual elongated, "coffin"-shaped plat, with corner streets running at 45-degree angles. The district holds 139 buildings dating from about 1810 to the 1920s, mostly modest wood-frame houses with Gothic and Greek Revival detailing, along with log houses later sided over. Jefferson Street forms the commercial core, with brick and wood stores, a Richardsonian bank built in 1895 and altered in 1900, and Queen Anne houses such as the Dr. Lindley Schooley House. The village's economy rested on the railroad. Seven cigar factories operated here, and Cooper Acton's factory produced 4.2 million cigars in 1910. Belmont also became eastern Ohio's largest horse market and a major livestock shipping point. Early garages, a telephone company and a movie theatre reflect its growth into the twentieth century.
Significance in brief: The nomination points to Belmont's role as a railroad village with a notable tobacco industry, including seven cigar factories, and as a major horse and livestock shipping point. It also cites the unusual "coffin"-shaped plat and a largely intact set of vernacular, Greek Revival and Queen Anne buildings. A few high-style buildings, such as the Belmont National Bank, stand out among the modest vernacular dwellings.
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 87000422, listed March 13, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Barrister, John, Jefferson, Sycamore, and Bridge Sts., Belmont |
|---|---|
| County | Belmont County |
| Listed | March 13, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000422 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Joseph Wright (plat); J. H. Colley (builder); "Buck" McAllister (builder of a storeroom) |
| Architectural style | Vernacular with Greek Revival, Gothic, Queen Anne, Richardsonian and Italianate elements |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Of 139 buildings, 17 are intrusive, such as trailer homes, modern ranch houses and recent commercial structures. Some buildings are vacant, including the Thornberry General Store, and the former Iddings Wool House is empty. The Belmont National Bank building is now a lace and textile museum. |
| Acreage | 75 |
| Coordinates | 40.02820, -81.04050 (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 87000422.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4884373
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.