Wright, Potter, House
Also known as: Charles Moore House
Why it's listed
This two-story frame I-house on East New England Avenue in Worthington, Ohio, was dated in the original inventory to about 1835, though later documentation changed the construction date to 1818. It has a five-bay front, a gable roof with asphalt shingles, a rectangular plan and a concrete block foundation. The main entrance has sidelights and a six-panel door, and the center hall holds a cherry stairway. Door surrounds are beaded and carry Federal style ogee molding. Wide vertical boards run between the corner braces, with the original horizontal siding nailed to them. In 1925 the house was moved to prevent its demolition for the present Methodist church on High Street, and a single-bay stoop was added then. It is significant as the home of Potter Wright, an early maker of cloth-production machinery. Wright came from Providence, Rhode Island, to supervise cotton-mill machinery, worked for the Worthington Manufacturing Company, and then built a brick shop behind his house to make machinery of his own.
Significance in brief: The inventory records it as the home of Potter Wright, an early manufacturer of machinery used in cloth production. Wright was sent from Providence, R.I. to oversee machinery for a cotton mill, then left the Worthington Manufacturing Company to build his own machinery shop behind his house. It is also listed as part of Worthington's multiple resource area of early community architecture.
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 80003026, listed April 17, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 174 E. New England Ave., Worthington |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | April 17, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003026 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | I-House with Federal style woodwork details |
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a residence; interior and exterior condition both listed as good. Moved in 1925 to avoid demolition for a Methodist church. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Rush Creek Village Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.08684, -83.01253 (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 80003026.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138339425
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.