Garst House
Also known as: The Garst Museum; Coover's Inn
Why it's listed
Built in 1852 by George Coover beside the newly constructed Greenville and Miami Railroad, this two-story brick house in Greenville, Ohio, began as an inn for railroad travelers. It sits on a stone foundation and has a three-bay facade, a c.1900 porch with paired neo-classical columns, 6/6 double-hung windows with stone lintels and sills, and a sheet metal gable roof. Coover died in a stagecoach accident in 1857, and his brother sold the house in 1861 to John Hufnagle, who gave it to his daughter, Miranda Garst. Her heirs donated it to the Darke County Historical Society in 1946. It now operates as a museum, with one-story gallery wings added in 1967. The collection includes Howard Chandler Christy's painting of the 1795 Greenville Treaty, Native American and Indian wars artifacts, and memorabilia of Annie Oakley and Lowell Thomas. The house is valued as a plain, well-built example of 1850s vernacular architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a well-proportioned example of early Victorian country architecture typical of 1850s Darke County. It is tied to the growth of commerce and the railroads through its origin as a railroad inn. It also serves as a museum holding a valuable local history collection.
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 77001056, listed November 16, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 205 N. Broadway, Greenville |
|---|---|
| County | Darke County |
| Listed | November 16, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77001056 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 (specific date 1852) |
| Architect / builder | George Coover (builder) |
| Architectural style | Early Victorian Ohio country style |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Excellent condition and in use as a museum (Garst Museum); altered by museum additions built in 1967 and a c.1935 frame addition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.10696, -84.63678 (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 77001056.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5524294
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.