Nicholson, James, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1835 on Detroit Avenue, this two-story wood frame house is the oldest surviving structure in Lakewood. Its five-bay front has a center entrance with pilasters, side lights and Doric columns around a six-paneled door, and a small porch roof carried on ornamental trellises. James Nicholson, born in Massachusetts in 1783, settled in Rockport in 1818 and became the first permanent settler on Detroit Road. He took part in the township's first election in 1819. A student of Swedenborg's writings, he helped found the First Society of Rockport at this house in 1841, the first church organized in the township. His widow added to and renovated the house about ten years after his death in 1859, and four generations of the family lived there. Later the building was converted to apartments. The Historic American Buildings Survey drew the original front wing in 1935-1936, and the house remains on its original site.
Significance in brief: It is the oldest surviving structure in Lakewood and the home of James Nicholson, the first permanent settler on Detroit Road in Rockport (now Lakewood). Nicholson organized the township's first church, the Swedenborgian First Society of Rockport, at the house in 1841. The original front wing survives externally intact as recorded by the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1935.
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 79001813, listed August 24, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 13335 Detroit Ave, Lakewood |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | August 24, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001813 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1835; 1841 |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; the interior and rear wings have been remodeled for apartment use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.48458, -81.78299 (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 79001813.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137723806
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.