Burchfield Homestead
Also known as: Charles Ephraim Burchfield House
Why it's listed
Located at 867 East Fourth Street in Salem, Ohio, this gable-and-wing frame house with clapboard siding and modest Colonial Revival details began in the early 1890s as a small front-gabled dwelling. The Burchfield family expanded it in 1910, adding a wing and gutting the interior. Charles Ephraim Burchfield moved in at age five in 1898 with his mother and five siblings, and lived here until 1922. The family was always poor, and the older children worked to support it. Charles began painting young and later converted a second-floor bedroom into an art studio with a skylight. Caricature drawings made by the family in 1910 remain in the parlor. He became a nationally recognized watercolorist and landscape painter whose work often drew on Salem's buildings and landscapes. Later the house was divided into apartments, then restored, and it now serves as a museum. A modern garage on the lot is noncontributing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues significance under Criterion B for association with watercolorist Charles Ephraim Burchfield, who lived here from 1898 until 1922. The house and its views inspired many of his major paintings, and he is described as among the most important American artists from Ohio.
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 99000320, listed March 23, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 867 E. Forth St., Salem |
|---|---|
| County | Columbiana County |
| Listed | March 23, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000320 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1898-1922 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Late 19th century-no style; late 19th and early 20th century Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now used as a museum; restoration work was undertaken shortly before the nomination, including reopening original doorways, replacing moldings and replacing windows and the skylight. A garage on the property is noncontributing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.90478, -80.84902 (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 99000320.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4998213
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.