Principal's Cottage
Also known as: "Bird Song"; President's House,Worthington Female Seminary
Why it's listed
Principal's Cottage, also known as Bird Song and originally the President's House of the Worthington Female Seminary, is a two-story frame residence at 38 Short Street in Worthington, Ohio. Its main block dates to about 1845 and shows Gothic Revival character through vertical wood siding, a steep pointed roofline and bargeboard. A side wing with a steep-roofed dormer was added later in the 19th century, and a more recent single-story porch crosses the facade. The house was built for Serepta Marsh, president of the Worthington Female Seminary, the first authorized Methodist female seminary in Ohio, established in 1838. It originally stood on the east side of High Street just south of the seminary. When the seminary was demolished in 1963, the house was moved to prevent its destruction. A later review changed its name to Principal's Cottage and revised its construction dates. It remains a residence on a lot of under an acre, set behind a group of homes.
Significance in brief: The house is noted for its Gothic characteristics of vertical wood siding, a steep gabled roof and bargeboard. It is also tied to the Worthington Female Seminary, the first authorized Methodist female seminary in Ohio, founded in 1838. It was built for Serepta Marsh, the institution's president.
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 80003014, listed April 17, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 38 Short St., Worthington |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | April 17, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003014 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Inventory lists interior and exterior condition as fair; the house was moved in 1963 when the Seminary was demolished and sits behind other homes, not visible from the public road. Used as a residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Worthington Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.08592, -83.01907 (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 80003014.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138339178
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.