Benedict, Sarah, House
Also known as: Library Bar,Crowell-Little Company
Why it's listed
Built about 1883, this 2½-story brick house at 3751 Prospect Avenue in Cleveland was the residence of Sarah Benedict, widow of George Benedict, owner and editor of the Cleveland Herald. It is a large, squarish Queen Anne house with a gambrel roof, angular siding in the gables, and projecting bays on the east and west sides. Horizontal frieze bands mark the second story and roof levels, with relief panels in the lower band and a diaper brick pattern in the upper. The house was listed because it is an early local example of Queen Anne design, built about twelve years before the 1895 average date of Queen Anne buildings in the east-side inventory. Its multi-paned windows, colored tile friezes and varied shingles recall the English form of the style, which is rare in Cleveland. It is also one of the few surviving houses from the near east side's post-Civil War residential era. The architect and builder are unknown.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is locally significant as an early example of Queen Anne residential architecture and one of the earliest such houses on Cleveland's east side. It is also one of the few remaining houses from the period when the near east side was a significant residential neighborhood after the Civil War. Its medieval-inspired, English-style Queen Anne details are described as rare in Cleveland.
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 84000220, listed November 1, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3751 Prospect Ave., Cleveland |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | November 1, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000220 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Exterior condition listed as good; present use residential in the inventory, though a photo shows a lease sign for 7,200 sq. ft. of office space. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Midtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.50225, -81.66041 (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 84000220.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17509539
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.