Toledo and Ohio Central Depot
Also known as: Hord & Sons Plumbing and Heating
Why it's listed
Built around 1880, this brick depot on East Rensselaer Street in Bucyrus served the Toledo & Ohio Central Railroad. The building is 100 feet long and 30 feet wide, with a hip roof and cross gables, a rock-faced ashlar foundation and trim, and stained glass transoms over the windows. Projecting stone gabled pavilions hold the ticket windows, and a conical-roofed stone tower with a finial marks the southeast corner. The depot reflects the Victorian Gothic style. Its importance lies in the railroad history of Bucyrus. The line, part of the Atlantic & Lake Erie project sponsored by local people and incorporated in 1865, brought its first train to town in the summer of 1880. Railroad shops in Bucyrus supplied many jobs until rail use declined in the 1940s. After the line was consolidated, the depot sat vacant, then served as newspaper storage in the 1960s and later housed a plumbing and heating business. It remains one of the last examples of railroad architecture from the city's peak railroad years.
Significance in brief: The depot is tied to the arrival of the railroad in Bucyrus, where the first train stopped in the summer of 1880 on the Atlantic & Lake Erie route later known as the Toledo & Ohio Central. The railroad shops provided jobs and income to the community until the 1940s. It is one of the last remaining examples of railroad architecture from the peak of the railroad era in Bucyrus.
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 80002974, listed October 3, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 700 E. Rensselaer St., Bucyrus |
|---|---|
| County | Crawford County |
| Listed | October 3, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80002974 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Victorian Gothic |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant for several years after the line was consolidated, used for newspaper storage in the 1960s, then bought in 1971 for a heating and plumbing business; the form lists it as occupied, commercial use, in fair condition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.80793, -82.96707 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 80002974.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137628552
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.