Fairfield County Children's Home
Why it's listed
Built between 1883 and 1886, the Fairfield County Children's Home on East Main Street in Lancaster, Ohio, was created so that orphaned children no longer had to be placed in the county infirmary. The county bought about 28 acres in 1883, and an existing frame house on the site sheltered the children during construction. The three-story brick main building, designed in the Renaissance Revival style with stained glass in the upper window sashes, was linked to that house, which became the superintendent's residence and office. The Home was planned for 60 children, who helped with household and farm chores on a working farm that operated until the 1970s. Seven superintendent and matron couples led it until 1980. Later additions include a 1950s gymnasium and a 1966-67 girls' dormitory. Six historic outbuildings remain, among them a brick auxiliary building and a bank barn built after a 1923 fire. Today the buildings serve offices, Head Start classrooms and an emergency family shelter.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the property as the county's institutional home for orphaned children, replacing placement in the county infirmary. It operated with a working farm where children did chores until the 1970s. The main building is a Renaissance Revival design with Queen Anne-style stained glass, and later additions record the Home's evolution into the 1960s.
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 08001196, listed December 22, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1743 E. Main St., Lancaster |
|---|---|
| County | Fairfield County |
| Listed | December 22, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08001196 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | General contractor David Cowden; stonemason Mr. Metzger |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Renaissance Revival; Mid-19th Century: Greek Revival; Late Victorian: Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The main building now houses offices, meeting rooms and Head Start classrooms. The auxiliary building's second floor serves as an emergency family shelter and its first floor is not rehabilitated. Some windows are covered with plywood, and the house porch is deteriorated. |
| Acreage | 25 |
| Coordinates | 39.71595, -82.56632 (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 08001196.
- 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.