Scioto Street Historic District
Why it's listed
Scioto Street in Urbana, Ohio, forms a district of about 71 houses and one church spread over five blocks, running from Locust Street to East Lawn Avenue. The buildings date from roughly 1830 to 1920 and show the range of styles popular as the city grew and prospered. Early brick houses stand near downtown, while later blocks include Gothic Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Eastlake, Shingle, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival homes. Notable examples include a pattern-book Gothic Revival house at 400 Scioto, built for the businessman Lemuel Weaver, and a brick Second Empire residence at 438 Scioto, built for attorney Frank Chance. The Church of the Epiphany, erected in 1849, is the only non-residential building. The street was home to many of Urbana's business, professional and political leaders, and the area was platted by 1870 and developed gradually over about 90 years. Mature street trees, iron fences and brick sidewalks add to its consistent scale, setback and materials, which led to its recognition as the city's most cohesive historic residential street.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is the finest collection of late 19th and early 20th century domestic architecture in Urbana. It also reflects the prosperity of the professionals, businessmen and farmers who lived there. Scioto Street is described as the most impressive, cohesive and well preserved of the two streets where Urbana's leading business, political and industrial figures lived.
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 84002908, listed February 9, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Scioto St. from Locust to E. Lawn Ave., Urbana |
|---|---|
| County | Champaign County |
| Listed | February 9, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002908 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1870-1920s |
| Architectural style | Pre-1850 Federal/Greek Revival-influenced, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Eastlake, Shingle Style, Queen Anne, Eclectic, Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as mainly residential and still considered the most desirable residential street in the city; only one recent ranch house at 591 Scioto is non-conforming. |
| Acreage | 3900 |
| Coordinates | 40.10821, -83.74577 (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 84002908.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.