Barnett-Criss House
Why it's listed
Set on 3.58 acres atop Best Hill in rural Westland Township, this T-shaped wood frame house was built in 1875 beside the National Road, later U.S. Route 40. Its three-bay facade has a projecting gabled center bay, a sawn-scrollwork porch, bay windows, bracketed cornices and segmental-arched window frames. Inside, a central hall and six-room plan hold walnut and chestnut woodwork, including an open walnut stair balustrade, fireplace mantels with burled walnut panels, and original unpainted flooring. The house was built for Oliver Barnett, a Westland Township farmer and Civil War veteran, by John and Charles Halstead, a father-and-son team of contractors from Pittsburgh. Its reported cost of about $12,000 proved too great, and Barnett sold it in 1890 to Elijah and Carrie Criss, whose family kept it until 1944. It is regarded as an outstanding example of rural Italianate architecture in Southeastern Ohio and is far more ornate than most neighboring roadside houses.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an outstanding example of rural Italianate domestic architecture in Southeastern Ohio. It is far more ornate than most contemporary houses along the highway. Its interior woodwork is largely intact, and it was built by Pittsburgh contractors John and Charles Halstead for farmer Oliver Barnett.
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 78002070, listed December 8, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SW of Cambridge off U.S. 22, Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Guernsey County |
| Listed | December 8, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002070 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1875 |
| Architect / builder | John & Charles Halstead |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence in excellent condition; exterior altered (enclosed side porch, garage addition) but interior ornament largely intact. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 39.99992, -81.69242 (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 78002070.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4861620
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.