Russell, Mark, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1850 on a rolling hillside along North High Street in Riverlea, this board-and-batten house was later stuccoed and given additions in the late 1920s. It is described as a rare surviving example of Carpenter Gothic architecture in the area. Its steep gable faces the street, trimmed with a cut-out scroll bargeboard, bracketed window boxes and a half-timbered entrance porch. A two-story rear wing with a stone first floor and half-timbered upper story served as a den and north-lit studio, using lumber salvaged from another Columbus home. The roughly three-acre lot, with mature plantings and a wildflower garden, is unusual amid surrounding commercial development. The Russell family acquired the property in 1919. Mark Russell, an artist who taught at the Columbus Art School until 1964, designed stained glass, murals and decorative penwork and drew the 1920s additions himself. The nomination was driven partly by concern that the land might be sold for commercial use.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a rare surviving example of Carpenter Gothic style in the area. It is also tied to Mark Russell, a well-known Columbus artist and teacher who specialized in penwork, calligraphy and stained glass design, and who designed the 1920s additions. The house and grounds recall the era when the area was farmland.
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 76001429, listed December 12, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 5751 N. High St., Riverlea |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | December 12, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76001429 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1850-1967 |
| Architectural style | Carpenter Gothic |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied as a private residence at the time of nomination; condition marked as altered. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 40.07997, -83.01901 (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 76001429.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138337473
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.