Reeser, C. A., House
Also known as: Innisfallen Greenhouses-Owner's Residence
Why it's listed
This two-story frame house at 1425 Innisfallen Avenue in Springfield, Ohio, was built about 1880 as the residence of Charles A. Reeser, founder of the Innisfallen Greenhouses. Reeser started a mail-order nursery there in 1877, specializing in roses, and the business was successful almost at once. By 1880 he could build new greenhouses and this home. He and the greenhouse operators who followed him came to dominate the American rose-growing market, and Springfield later counted 33 greenhouses. The firm was sold in 1894 but kept its name. The house is the only surviving structure from the complex. It has a T-shaped plan, a three-story campanile tower with a hipped roof, a semi-octagonal bay, and an Italianate porch. The front gable carries Eastlake cut-out decoration, reflecting a transitional period in style. Few asymmetrical Italianate houses with campanile towers survive in Springfield. The builder is unknown.
Significance in brief: The house is the last remaining piece of the Innisfallen Greenhouses, founded by Charles A. Reeser in 1877 as Springfield's first successful mail-order nursery business, which helped start the city's rose-growing industry. It is also one of only a handful of surviving asymmetrical Italianate houses with a campanile in Springfield, with Eastlake features.
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 80002957, listed June 20, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1425 Innisfallen Ave., Springfield |
|---|---|
| County | Clark County |
| Listed | June 20, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80002957 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Italianate with Eastlake features |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and used as a private residence; condition marked good and altered, on its original site. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 39.91423, -83.83526 (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 80002957.
- 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.