Monitor House
Why it's listed
Built around 1860, this brick house at 375 West Main Street in Saint Paris, Ohio, follows the monitor style, an unusual design in which a raised square clerestory sits atop the main roof. The house is one and one-half stories on a stone foundation, measures roughly thirty feet square, and has a five-bay front. Its entrance is deeply recessed about five feet behind twin doors, which emphasizes its cubical form. Paired windows, stone sills and lintels, and a bracketed cornice mark the lower level, while the hipped-roof clerestory, about eighteen feet square, has two small six-light windows on each side. Inside, a center hall plan places living and dining rooms on either side of the stair. The house was listed because monitor-style houses are very rare in Ohio, with only two or three known. The architect, original owner and exact date of construction remain unknown, but the design alone was judged important at the local level.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is architecturally significant as one of only two or three known monitor-style houses in Ohio. Its design is rare in the state, and it is considered important in its own right. Little is known of its history, including its architect, original owner and exact construction date.
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 74001408, listed May 2, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 375 W. Main St., Saint Paris |
|---|---|
| County | Champaign County |
| Listed | May 2, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001408 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (built circa 1860) |
| Architectural style | Monitor style |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and structurally sound, with a good restoration considered possible; used as a private residence and occupied. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 40.12936, -83.96717 (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 74001408.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6900482
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.