McGraw House
Why it's listed
Built in 1870 by Levi Crim, this two-story painted brick house at 116 S. Walnut Street in Bucyrus is a Victorian home with a Second Empire profile. The original block is nearly square and topped with a dormered mansard roof. Paired brackets support the eaves, and the three-bay front faces west. The main entrance has a tall round-arched doorway with a half-round transom and double doors, sheltered by a small flat-roofed porch on square wooden columns. Inside, a curved walnut stair with a coffin niche rises from the entrance hall, and the front parlor keeps its original wood-burning fireplace. Later changes include an early two-story rear addition, a garden room added in 1968, and a master bedroom suite built in 1952. The house was sold to Wm. Rowse in 1874 and later belonged to H. A. Paxton. It was listed as a good, well-restored example of early Victorian architecture in Bucyrus.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the house as a good example of an early Victorian style home in Bucyrus. It notes that the home is well cared for and that the original portion is well restored. A later data sheet classifies the style as Victorian Second Empire.
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 75001349, listed July 18, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 116 S. Walnut St., Bucyrus |
|---|---|
| County | Crawford County |
| Listed | July 18, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001349 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (1870) |
| Architect / builder | Levi Crim (builder) |
| Architectural style | Victorian, Second Empire |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence in fair condition and altered; the original portion is described as well restored. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Bucyrus Commercial Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.80827, -82.97384 (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 75001349.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137626056
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.