Curtis, William D., 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
This two-story painted brick house at 1411 Hayes Avenue in Sandusky dates to about 1850. It is a typical Sandusky half house of the mid-19th century, with stone lintels and sills, a front door with side lights, and a diamond-shaped window in the end gable. The porch is an old addition, as are several rear additions, while the aluminum awnings and screened feature are more recent. Its importance rests on an industrial story. In the 1860s the process for making school chalk and crayons was refined in the kitchen. M. F. Cowdery, J. S. Cowdery and William D. Curtis formed the Western School Supply to market their inventions, and it later became the American Crayon Co. After joining with the Parmenter Crayon Co. of Waltham, Massachusetts in 1890, the company became a major school supplier. The house sits back from later buildings along what was once Columbus Pike, now State Route 4, on a lot of less than one acre.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to the development of school chalk and crayons, whose manufacturing process was refined in its kitchen in the 1860s. William D. Curtis and the Cowderys formed Western School Supply, which later became the American Crayon Co. The reviewer's notes suggest Criterion A.
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 82001391, listed October 20, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1411 Hayes Ave., Sandusky |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | October 20, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001391 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a dwelling; exterior condition described as good. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.44327, -82.71035 (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 82001391.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137771741
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.