Mitchell Historic District
Why it's listed
Seven Greek Revival houses on Center Street in Milan, Ohio, make up this small district of about 2.8 acres. Four are brick and three are frame, and they stand near the corner of Center and Judson Streets. The centerpiece, at 128 Center Street, is a two-story brick house with a four-column Ionic portico, carved acanthus-leaf woodwork over the doorway and windows, wooden corner pilasters and a dentiled cornice. It was built in 1847-1848 by Zenas King, an inventor and engineer who was among the country's first builders of iron bridges. Jeptha Wade, later president of Western Union, also lived there. The other six houses have sandstone trim, transom and sidelight entrances, and robust friezes and corner pilasters. They date from the period of prosperity that followed construction of the Milan Canal. Together, the houses show Greek Revival design at its height with notable consistency, and they were recognized as a distinct, harmonious group of neighboring houses.
Significance in brief: The group contains what the nomination calls the most elaborate and dignified Greek Revival house in Milan and one of northern Ohio's important architectural examples. The six other houses support it through good proportions, detail and their relationship to it and to one another. The houses were built at the height of Milan's canal-era prosperity and form a consistent, harmonious neighborhood.
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 75001382, listed March 13, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 115-137 and 118-136 Center St., Milan |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | March 13, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001382 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date 1847) |
| Architect / builder | Zenas King (builder of the Mitchell-Turner House, 1847-1848) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition marked excellent and altered; present use is private residence and the properties are occupied. |
| Acreage | 2.8 |
| Coordinates | 41.29460, -82.60148 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 75001382.
- 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.