Hanna House
Also known as: North American Equitable Life Insurance Company
Why it's listed
Completed in 1900 at 1021 East Broad Street in Columbus, this substantial residence was built for James B. Hanna, president of the Hanna Paint Company. It is built of buff brick on a stone foundation under a tile hipped roof, rising 2½ stories. A balustraded porch with twelve fluted Doric columns spans the facade, and an ornate pedimented dormer sits above. Inside are carved woodwork and mantels, decorative plaster, leaded and stained glass windows, and a notable grand staircase. Behind the house stands a buff brick carriage house with a Palladian dormer and two small cupolas. The Hanna firm, founded in 1888, became Ohio's leading paint company by 1896. When the house was finished, East Broad Street was a tree-lined, fashionable address, though the area later declined and many neighboring homes were demolished. The family kept the house until 1975, and it has since been sensitively adapted to executive offices. It was listed for its association with Hanna and as a fine local example of turn-of-the-century domestic design.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites the house as the home of James B. Hanna, co-founder and president of the Hanna Paint Company, one of Columbus' most successful industries. It is also described as an excellent example of turn-of-the-century domestic architecture in the city, with notable interior woodwork, stained glass and a grand staircase. It survives on a stretch of East Broad Street that was once among the city's most fashionable residential avenues.
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 79001835, listed April 19, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1021 E. Broad St., Columbus |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | April 19, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001835 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900 |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Adapted to executive offices by an insurance company after the 1975 death of Josephine Hanna; the interior features are described as in excellent condition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Columbus Near East Side District |
| Coordinates | 39.96517, -82.97372 (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 79001835.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q104733784
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.