Engels, Herman, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1885 at 117 Hancock Street in Sandusky, this three-story brick house shows the Second Empire style through its shingled mansard roof with a decorative curb, rounded arched dormer windows with fluted pilasters and finials, and elaborately carved stone lintels. It rests on a cut limestone foundation and has a stone string course and water table. The double front doors have iron grillwork and a transom, and the original stone steps remain. A double porch, added probably around 1920, replaced the original canopy and entrance. The house is tied to Sandusky's wine industry. It housed the vintner of the Engels & Krudwig Winery next door. Jacob Engels started the winery in 1863, and his nephew Herman Engels took it over when Jacob died in 1875. German immigrants brought winemaking skills to the area and made wine an important industry until 1961. The house is now apartments, and restoration was under way when it was documented.
Significance in brief: The house is significant because it was the home of the vintner of the Engels & Krudwig Winery next door. Herman Engels inherited the winery from his uncle Jacob Engels, who founded it in 1863, and German settlers made winemaking an important local industry until 1961. The reviewer recommended acceptance under Criteria A and B and noted it could also be significant under C.
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 82001393, listed October 20, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 117 Hancock St., Sandusky |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | October 20, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001393 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Builder: Henceck |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now used as apartments; exterior in very good condition and in process of restoration in a neighborhood that had been run down. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Downtown Sandusky Commercial Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.45762, -82.70870 (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 82001393.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137771750
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.