Cooke, Eleutheros, House
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built in 1827 at 410 Columbus Avenue in Sandusky, this two-story limestone house is identified as the city's oldest standing house. Its Greek Revival character shows in a wide cornice board with brackets and panels, and a front door whose lights are separated from the door by narrow reeded pilasters. The basement sits almost entirely above ground. A frame addition on the north side and a brick porch replacing the original porch date to about 1920, and a canopy over the basement door is the latest change. Eleutheros Cooke, one of Sandusky's first settlers and its first lawyer, built the house along with several others. He was the father of Jay Cooke, the Civil War financier, who spent his last winter in Sandusky here. In 1835 General William Henry Harrison received a flag from Sandusky women on the original porch. The house now holds apartments and offices, and an old wrought iron fence runs along the side alley.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it Sandusky's oldest standing house, one of several built by Eleutheros Cooke, an early settler, the city's first lawyer, and father of Civil War financier Jay Cooke. Its original porch was the site where General William Henry Harrison was presented with a flag made by Sandusky women in 1835. Jay Cooke also spent his last winter in Sandusky here.
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 82001390, listed October 20, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 410 Columbus Ave., Sandusky |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | October 20, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001390 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1827 |
| Architect / builder | Architect or engineer: E. Adams; builder: Dalley |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as apartments and offices; exterior condition described as good. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.45328, -82.70990 (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 82001390.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5359666
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.