Townsend, William T., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1844, this 3½-story house at 515 W. Washington Street in Sandusky is notable for its use of native limestone. The front wall is smooth-faced coursed ashlar with quoins, while the sides are rock-faced ashlar. Windows have stone lintels and sills, and a stone water table runs around the base. A two-story porch retains its original cut work and brackets. About 1870 the house was enlarged and Italianate features were added. A small brick and stone addition went onto the west side around 1920, and a rear wing was later removed. William T. Townsend, one of Sandusky's earliest merchants, built the house. He also owned a line of steamships and a hotel and helped finance the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad. After Townsend and his wife died of cholera in 1849, the house passed to Pitt and Mary Townsend Cooke. In the early 1900s it served as a home and dairy, and in 1920 it became apartments, its current use.
Significance in brief: The nomination holds the house significant for its fine use of native limestone, including smooth-faced coursed ashlar on the front and rock-faced ashlar on the sides. It is also tied to William T. Townsend, one of Sandusky's earliest merchants, who owned steamships and a hotel and helped finance a railroad.
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 82001448, listed October 20, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 515 W. Washington St., Sandusky |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | October 20, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001448 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | William T. Townsend (builder) |
| Architectural style | Italianate Gothic Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Exterior in very good condition; used as apartments since 1920; altered by an Italianate enlargement about 1870, a small c. 1920 addition, and removal of a rear wing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.45375, -82.71458 (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 82001448.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137779366
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.