Ensworth, Jeremiah, House
Also known as: 3214 Prospect Avenue
Why it's listed
Built about 1870 at 3214 Prospect Avenue in Cleveland, this two-story brick house was the home of Jeremiah Ensworth. Ensworth was a principal in the importing firm Fogg, Ensworth and Company before the Civil War. He was active in the Cleveland Grays and served as a captain in the Union Army. After the war he stayed with the Grays and worked as an insurance agent. The house is Italianate in style, with a hipped roof, a one-story bay window on the right side, stone window sills and ornamental wooden drip moldings above the windows. The porch was added later and reflects Queen Anne style. Brick construction sets the house apart, since frame buildings were much more common in Cleveland. It is one of the few single-family houses from the years after the Civil War still standing on the city's east side. The exterior is in good condition and the building is now used commercially.
Significance in brief: The house is significant for its architecture and for its association with Jeremiah Ensworth, a Union Army captain in the Civil War. It is a good example of Italianate style, with ornamental wooden drip moldings over the windows and brick construction at a time when frame houses were far more common in Cleveland. It is also one of the few surviving post-Civil War single-family houses on Cleveland's east side.
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 84000226, listed November 1, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3214 Prospect Ave., Cleveland |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | November 1, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000226 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is commercial; exterior condition is good and interior condition is unknown. The porch is a later addition in Queen Anne style. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Midtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.50118, -81.66373 (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 84000226.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137704755
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.