Ohio City Preservation District
Also known as: See Also:St. Ignatius High School; Ohio City Preservation Dis
Why it's listed
Ohio City Preservation District covers about 80 acres of Cleveland's near west side, in an area that was once the independent municipality of Ohio City. It takes in portions of twenty-five small blocks and includes roughly 250 houses, stores, a public library, two churches and several apartment buildings. Most houses are modest frame or brick homes built for brewery workers, carpenters and tradesmen, mixed with larger Italianate, Second Empire and Queen Anne residences of merchants and bankers. Landmarks include St. Patrick's Church, begun in 1871 and finished in 1913, the Franklin Circle Christian Church by Cudell and Richardson, and the Carnegie West Library of 1910, designed by Edward L. Tilton. The area was settled largely by Irish and German immigrants, and Ohio City merged with Cleveland in 1854. It was listed as a nearly complete nineteenth-century community and as the site of a private preservation movement that began in 1968. Some blocks are badly deteriorated, and one Italianate house was lost to fire in 1975.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district represents a complete second-half-nineteenth-century community, with wealthy, middle and working class homes, churches, stores and a notable public building. It also notes the district as the center of a private preservation movement that began in 1968.
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 74001447, listed October 9, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Bounded by W. 26th, Clinton, W. 38th, and Carroll Sts., Cleveland |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | October 9, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001447 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1836-1913 |
| Architect / builder | Cudell and Richardson (Franklin Circle Christian Church); Edward L. Tilton (Carnegie West Library) |
| Architectural style | Victorian Gothic, Italianate, Second Empire, Eastlake, Queen Anne, Gothic Revival and Beaux-Arts |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition marked good and altered, with preservation work in progress. Some parts, especially along Fulton and West 31st Streets, are described as dilapidated, altered or vandalized. The Leonard Schlather house was destroyed by fire on November 30, 1975. |
| Acreage | 80 |
| Within district | Ohio City Preservation District (Boundary Increase) |
| Coordinates | 41.48533, -81.70903 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 74001447.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7080770
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.