Jones-Read-Touvelle House
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built around 1875, this two-story brick house on East Park Street in Wauseon faces an open square known as South Park. Its Italianate design includes a truncated hip roof, paired brackets under broad eaves, segmental brick arches over the windows, and double front doors. An elaborate Queen Anne porch, added about 1890, wraps the front and south sides, with lathe-turned posts, spindles and pendant brackets still intact. Inside, the house retains varied natural woodwork, a marble fireplace, a beamed dining room ceiling and original fretwork. A c. 1876 board and batten barn survives behind the house. Dr. Philo E. Jones apparently built the house during Wauseon's early growth after it became the county seat in 1872. John A. Read, a leading druggist, bought it in 1876. His son-in-law William W. Touvelle, a lawyer, Republican figure and U.S. consul to Belfast, lived there with his family, which owned the house until 1979.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an excellent example of late 19th century residential architecture that successfully combines the Italianate and Queen Anne styles. It also reflects the early growth of Wauseon after it became the county seat in 1872. It is associated with the Read and Touvelle families, including druggist John A. Read and lawyer and U.S. consul William W. Touvelle.
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 87000632, listed May 8, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 435 E. Park St., Wauseon |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Listed | May 8, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000632 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown; apparently built by Dr. Philo E. Jones |
| Architectural style | Italianate with Queen Anne porch |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence in excellent condition; the current owners have begun a maintenance and restoration plan. The barn is now used as a garage. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.54326, -84.13939 (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 87000632.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6275100
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.