Arendt-Seymour House
Why it's listed
Built around 1875 at 53 West Columbus Street in Canal Winchester, this two-story brick house follows a T-shaped plan under a low-pitched hip roof covered in standing-seam tin. Wide eaves, a projecting cornice, tall narrow two-over-two windows with cut-stone sills and lintels, and a transomed single-door entry give it an Italianate character. A wraparound porch with square wood posts serves the front and east sides, and later brick additions sit at the rear. Inside, the three-room plan survives intact, with red oak woodwork, four-panel doors with etched glass transoms, and a staircase with hand-turned spindles. The lot once held the log homestead of John Coleman, and Rachel P. Arendt acquired it in 1875; the Seymour family later owned the house until 1936. It is one of 18 hipped L or T plan houses in town and was chosen for its well-preserved exterior and unaltered interior as a representative example of vernacular town architecture from the railroad era.
Significance in brief: It is significant under Criterion C as a representative example of vernacular town domestic architecture of the Railroad Era (1869-1904). It is one of 18 hipped L or T plan houses in the town's limits and the only one nominated individually. The nomination cites its well-preserved exterior and its unaltered interior room arrangement and details.
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 89001024, listed August 15, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 53 W. Columbus St., Canal Winchester |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | August 15, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001024 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1875 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Italianate; hipped T plan |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function is a single-family dwelling; the exterior is well preserved and the interior unaltered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.84138, -82.80795 (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 89001024.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4788972
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.