Griffith, James, House
Why it's listed
This 1 1/2-story brick house at 172 Washington Street in Canal Winchester was built around 1872. It has a steep gable end facing the street, projecting eaves, a standing-seam tin roof and a three-bay facade, with a Queen Anne style frame cutwork porch across the front. Inside, four first-floor rooms surround a north-south dividing wall, and original woodwork, mantel, wood floors and an enclosed stair survive. The house is regarded as an example of vernacular town architecture from the Railroad Era, 1869-1904. It is one of 27 houses of its type within the town limits, and only five of those are brick. It stands out for how little it has been altered. James Griffith bought the land in 1869 and ran a brickyard there, and an 1872 map shows a house and kiln on the site. He was probably the builder, using bricks made on the property. Locally it is known as the Minnie Bishop House, after a schoolteacher who rented it for many years.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion C as an example of vernacular domestic architecture of the Railroad Era, 1869-1904, in a town setting. It is one of 27 houses of this type within the town limits, only five of them brick. It is notable for its lack of interior and exterior alteration and its well-preserved 19th-century frame porch.
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 89001019, listed August 15, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 172 Washington St., Canal Winchester |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | August 15, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001019 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | C. 1872 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Vernacular; 1 1/2 story with 3 bay facade and gable end to street (Queen Anne style frame porch) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a single dwelling; the form describes it as largely unaltered inside and out. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 39.83924, -82.80941 (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 89001019.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q136346047
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.