Barber Shop
Why it's listed
This one-story wood-frame commercial building dates from about 1860 and sits on the north side of Liberty Avenue in Vermilion, Ohio, the third building west of Main Street. It has a gable roof with asphalt shingles, clapboard siding, a stone foundation, a four-bay front and a false front. The heavily carved and bracketed cornice, plate glass windows and plain door openings make it more ornate than its neighbor, the Harbour Store. The building holds two shops and has been carefully restored in recent years. A barber shop has operated here continuously for more than a century. The building was recognized as a good, unusually well preserved example of early Italianate wooden commercial architecture. It stands in the middle of a contiguous group of restored commercial buildings and forms part of Vermilion's commercial center, still serving as a store today.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes it as a good example of early Italianate wooden commercial architecture that is unusually well preserved. A barber shop has operated at this location continuously for over one hundred years. It is part of Vermilion's commercial center within a group of restored commercial buildings.
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 79003932, listed November 14, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Liberty Ave., W. of Main St., Vermilion |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | November 14, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003932 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as carefully restored recently; condition is very good on the exterior and good on the interior. Still used as a store. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.42199, -82.36541 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 79003932.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137783877
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.