Livingston, Alexander W., House
Why it's listed
Built in the mid-1860s on Graham Road in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, this large two-story frame house was the family home of Alexander W. Livingston, a horticulturist known for improving the tomato. Livingston oversaw construction by cabinetmaker Nathan Orcutt and reportedly paid extra for knot-free lumber so the clapboard siding would have a smooth finish. The house rests on a sandstone foundation and has a symmetrical front-gable facade, a summer kitchen added before 1900, hand-blown glass in many windows, and plaster-on-lath walls. Livingston lived here until 1878 and introduced the Paragon tomato in 1870 and the Acme in 1875 during that time. He eventually developed more than seventeen tomato varieties, along with sweet corn and cabbage. The original 136-acre farm has shrunk to about 3.8 acres, which include a cutting garden once tended by Mrs. Livingston. The City of Reynoldsburg now owns the property and operates it as a community center and museum of the area's tomato heritage.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion B for its association with Alexander W. Livingston, who gained worldwide recognition for developing and stabilizing tomato varieties, including the Paragon (1870) and Acme (1875). Both were developed while he lived here. The house is also described as a fine vernacular mid-Victorian dwelling built to high standards.
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 94000593, listed June 17, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1792 Graham Rd., Reynoldsburg |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | June 17, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000593 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1864-1878 |
| Architect / builder | Orcutt, Nathan |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the City of Reynoldsburg and used as a community center and museum; the form's function listing shows a landscape/garden entry as work in progress. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 39.94788, -82.79612 (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 94000593.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q116468140
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.