Barr House
Also known as: Davis House
Why it's listed
Built around 1860 at the northeast corner of Locust and Sandusky streets in Mechanicsburg, this 1½-story frame house sits on a stone foundation beneath an intersecting gable roof of composition shingles. Its Gothic Revival character shows in decorative bargeboards, pointed-arch windows with original shutters in the gables, and the gabled roofline. A later front porch and a garage on the side and rear were added, but the original massing, openings and detailing remain intact. The house was the home of Cyrus Barr, a partner in the Culbertson and Barr Buggy Works, which made buggies and wagons used by the rural population. The factory stood directly across Sandusky Street and no longer exists. Manufacturing mattered in Mechanicsburg from the mid-19th century until the Depression, and this house and William Culbertson's residence are the only buildings left connected with the firm. A local survey found 45 intersecting-gable buildings in a village of about 1,500 people, and this one stands out for keeping its ornament.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to the Culbertson and Barr Buggy Works, one of Mechanicsburg's largest and longest-lived industries, whose factory stood across Sandusky Street and is gone. This house and William Culbertson's house are the only surviving buildings linked to that industry. It is also a well-preserved example of the intersecting-gable house type common in the village, retaining its decorative Gothic Revival detail.
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 85001876, listed August 29, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Locust & Sandusky Sts., Mechanicsburg |
|---|---|
| County | Champaign County |
| Listed | August 29, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001876 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Exterior in good condition; used as a residence. The front porch and side/rear garage are later additions that the form says do not compromise integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.07331, -83.55271 (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 85001876.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137606471
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.