Burnett, William, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1869, this two-story brick house on U.S. Route 62 near Washington Court House, Ohio, is a five-bay I-house with a symmetrical front, side-gabled metal roof and a central passage plan. Its distinction lies in the decoration: wide overhanging eaves with paired carved brackets, segmental arched window heads with keystones, and hooded first-floor windows reflect the Italianate style, while the doorway with sidelights, transom and lintel shows Greek Revival influence. Inside are a curved staircase, a ruby glass transom with etched floral design, pedimented door woodwork, a slate fireplace and period chandeliers. Most I-houses in Fayette County are plainer and earlier, which makes this one unusual locally. It was built for William Burnett, a grain and livestock farmer and later county sheriff, to house his large family. Later it served as a tea room in the late 1920s and then as a dwelling. A 1987 addition does not diminish its integrity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a rare example in Fayette County of an I-house with extensive ornamentation, combining Italianate details such as paired brackets and carved window hoods with Greek Revival elements in its entrance and windows. Other known county I-houses date from c. 1820 to c. 1855 and are plainer. It is also tied to William Burnett, a prominent grain and livestock farmer and county sheriff in the 1870s.
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 89000176, listed March 22, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1613 US 62 SW, Washington Court House |
|---|---|
| County | Fayette County |
| Listed | March 22, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000176 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1869 |
| Architectural style | Italianate; Greek Revival; Other: I-House (Mid-19th Century) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic single dwelling; current function listed as work in progress. It was used as a restaurant (Lytle's Tea Room) from the late 1920s, and a small brick addition with restrooms and storage was built in 1987. |
| Acreage | 1.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.52456, -83.45815 (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 89000176.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16824982
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.