Mill Worker House No. 3
Why it's listed
This limestone cottage at 2505 Stratford Road in Delaware, Ohio, was completed in 1851 as housing for workers at the Andrews and Perry Paper Mill. It sits between the road and the Olentangy River on a former farm tract sold in 1838 to the mill's owners, who built housing for their employees. An 1866 atlas showed 17 mill worker houses in Stratford, and only five retain enough original fabric to show their purpose. The two-bay building has uncoursed rubble limestone walls, large quoins, a gable roof and a side-hall plan with four rooms. A c. 1900 fire led to rebuilt upper walls in cement block, and a Folk Victorian porch and a 1920s rear addition were also added. The house is significant for its link to the steam-powered paper industry and to the company-owned mill village, and as an example of a simple vernacular worker house type. It remains a single-family residence.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be significant under Criterion A for Industry and Community Planning and Development, as housing built by mill owners to attract and keep workers in the Stratford mill village. It is also significant under Criterion C as a vernacular building type, a modified Side Hallway house, important to local building practices.
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 91001433, listed October 3, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2505 Stratford Rd., Delaware |
|---|---|
| County | Delaware County |
| Listed | October 3, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001433 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | C. 1851-1896 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Other: worker cottage (vernacular, Side Hallway house type elements) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling, as in its historic function. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.26073, -83.06283 (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 91001433.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137762140
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.