Hart, Gideon, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1820 on Hempstead Road in Westerville, this two-story frame house was constructed by Gideon Hart, an early settler of what was then Harrison Township, now Blendon. Hart received the land from his mother, who had been granted acreage in Ohio after her husband was killed in the Revolutionary War. He ran the third sawmill in Franklin County and cut the lumber for the house there. The five-bay building rests on a stone foundation and has a gable roof with two interior end chimneys, clapboard siding, and interior woodwork of walnut and butternut with pegged ash flooring. Two wings, a portico, and modern utilities were added in the twentieth century, including changes made in 1928, yet owners have kept its early character. Hart was also a surveyor, farmer, militia colonel and Justice of the Peace, and records indicate he platted Westerville. His association with local settlement and the home's early architecture formed the basis for its listing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant for its association with Gideon Hart, an important early settler of Franklin County, and for its fine early nineteenth century architecture. Hart was a surveyor, militia colonel, Justice of the Peace and sawmill operator who is said to have platted Westerville.
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 73001442, listed August 14, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 7328 Hempstead Rd., Westerville |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | August 14, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001442 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (built 1820) |
| Architect / builder | Gideon Hart |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Excellent condition, occupied as a private residence; altered with later additions and renovations but retaining early nineteenth century character. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 40.10886, -82.89761 (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 73001442.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18150747
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.