Culbertson, William, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1870 at the corner of Race and Locust streets in Mechanicsburg, this two-story brick house is a well-preserved example of Italianate residential design. It rests on a stone foundation beneath a hip roof and has an irregular plan with a projecting bay on the east side. Decorative hoodmoulds top the windows, a bracketed cornice runs along the roofline, and a decorative porch spans the front. A minor rear addition is hidden from the street. The house was the home of William Culbertson, who moved to Mechanicsburg in 1854 and founded Culbertson & Murrey, a buggy and carriage maker. He later joined Cyrus Barr to form Culbertson & Barr Co., which operated in the last quarter of the 19th century. His sons later sold Ford, Hudson and Jeffrey cars as Culbertson Brothers. The factory and showroom were lost to fire, leaving this house and the Barr house as the remaining buildings tied to the business.
Significance in brief: It was the residence of William Culbertson, a leading Mechanicsburg manufacturer who ran the Culbertson & Barr Co., makers of carriages and wagons. Along with the Cyrus Barr residence, it is one of the only surviving buildings tied to that business. It is also considered one of the best surviving examples of Italianate residential architecture in the village.
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 85001880, listed August 29, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 103 Race St., Mechanicsburg |
|---|---|
| County | Champaign County |
| Listed | August 29, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001880 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Exterior in good condition; in use as a residence, with a minor rear addition not visible from the street. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.07414, -83.55567 (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 85001880.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8007352
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.