Eckis, Nicholas, House
Why it's listed
Built between 1833 and 1835 for Nicholas Eckis, a merchant active in northern Columbiana County, this two-story brick house on High Street in East Fairfield, Ohio, has five bays, a central entrance and a single-story rear wing. Stone lintels and sills frame the windows, paired chimneys rise from the end walls, and a curved brick water table and cornice give the plain facade restrained detail. Inside, a central hall is flanked by two rooms on each side, with paneled cupboards beside several fireplaces. The house represents early Ohio building traditions, but its local importance is greater. East Fairfield, founded in 1803, was a trading post town on roads from western Pennsylvania until the railroads arrived in the 1850s. Only four antebellum buildings survive there, and this is the only one with enough integrity to qualify. A 1972 road realignment destroyed six village houses. After the Civil War the house apparently served as the community post office.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house embodies early 19th-century Ohio architecture through its symmetrical proportions, paired end-wall chimneys and cyma-curved brick water table and cornice. It is also the last intact representative of East Fairfield, once an important post town. Only four antebellum buildings remain in the village, and only this one keeps enough integrity to qualify.
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 80002962, listed January 3, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | High St., East Fairfield |
|---|---|
| County | Columbiana County |
| Listed | January 3, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80002962 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1833-1835 |
| Architectural style | Early 19th-century Ohio architecture (center hall plan brick house) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and used as a private residence; condition marked good, with the site original and some alterations. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.82251, -80.63563 (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 80002962.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7025338
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.