Cargo Warehouse
Also known as: Gilchrist Lumber Company
Why it's listed
Built around 1880, this two-story warehouse on Liberty Avenue in Vermilion, Ohio, originally served as lumber storage for the Gilchrist Lumber Company. The building is a vernacular structure of heavy timber construction on a stone foundation, with a gable roof of asphalt shingles and a rectangular plan. The company, run by a prominent local family, provided building supplies and milling for the contractors who erected the frame Italianate houses found throughout Vermilion. That link to the town's residential growth is the main reason the warehouse is recognized. Once a plain storage building, it has been remodeled into a store, with new horizontal wood siding on the exterior and an interior opened into a two-story display space where the original wood framing members remain exposed. It sits well back from the street, facing a gravel parking lot, with a railroad line running behind it. Its condition is reported as very good inside and out.
Significance in brief: It was one of the buildings of the Gilchrist Lumber Company, run by a prominent Vermilion family. The company supplied building materials and milling to local contractors who built the frame Italianate houses of Vermilion.
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 79003941, 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., E. of Exchange St. and W. of Toledo St., Vermilion |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | November 14, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003941 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Remodeled into an antique store; interior and exterior condition both described as very good. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.42113, -82.36279 (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 79003941.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.