Sharp, Morris, House
Also known as: Fayette County Historical Society Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1875 in Washington Court House, Ohio, this brick house is designed in an Italian Villa style. It has two wings joined at right angles, with a square four-story tower rising about thirty feet above the roofline in the corner between them. Pointed-arch windows, bay windows, bracketed eaves, ornamental iron cresting and a patterned roof of multicolored slate give the exterior its character. Inside, a center hall plan places the stairway near the west front door and leads to the top of the tower. A brick carriage house survives southeast of the house. The home was built for Morris Sharp, a banker who headed the Commercial Bank and was a well-known supporter of temperance. He was nominated for governor by the Prohibition Party and drew more votes than any earlier candidate of that party. The Fayette County Historical Society acquired the property in 1955 and has operated it as a museum since then.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites the house as an architectural example of the Italian Villa style, with its pointed-arch windows, slate roofs and tall tower. It is also tied to Morris Sharp, a local banker and temperance advocate who was nominated for governor by the Prohibition Party.
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 74001483, listed January 21, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 517 Columbus St., Washington Court House |
|---|---|
| County | Fayette County |
| Listed | January 21, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001483 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (built 1875) |
| Architectural style | Italian Villa |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Acquired by the Fayette County Historical Society in 1955 and used as a museum since then; condition listed as good and altered. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 39.53919, -83.43493 (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 74001483.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14716729
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.