Thurber, James, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1873, this large brick house at 77 Jefferson Avenue in Columbus rises two and a half stories on a stone foundation under a gabled slate roof. Its facade has a round arched window with rusticated brick, decorative wood trim in the gables, and a dormer; the front porch is a later addition. Inside, the front and rear staircases, door and window trim with corner blocks, and four mantels survive. The house matters chiefly for its literary link. From 1913 to 1915 it was home to Charles and Mary Thurber and their sons William, James and Robert. James Thurber later wrote that it was the ghost house in his 1933 story "The Night the Ghost Got In," and city directories confirm the family lived there in November 1915. It also stands as a fairly intact example of housing from the East Park Place subdivision, though it was vacant and deteriorated when nominated.
Significance in brief: The house was home from 1913 to 1915 to the family of Charles L. Thurber, including his son, the humorist James Thurber. By Thurber's own account it is the "ghost house" of his story "The Night the Ghost Got In." It is also a relatively well-preserved residence in the once-fashionable East Park Place subdivision.
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 79001840, listed November 8, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 77 Jefferson Ave., Columbus |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | November 8, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001840 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Areas of significance | Literature, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as vacant and in a deteriorated state; the form lists it as unoccupied and altered, with the later front porch noted as an addition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Jefferson Avenue Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.96624, -82.98487 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 79001840.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7799257
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.