McCracken-Scott House
Why it's listed
Built around 1830 at 819 Steubenville Avenue in Cambridge, Ohio, this brick I-house has a two-story ell extending north from the rear. The walls are four courses thick, laid in common bond on a sandstone foundation, and a journal records 59,500 bricks used in construction. The five-bay facade has a Greek Revival-style entrance with transom and sidelights, and the slate gable roof carries inset end chimneys. Inside, six principal rooms each retain a fireplace, and much of the woodwork, including the stair balustrade, is walnut. William McCracken, a Pennsylvania native who arrived in 1809 as the village blacksmith, built the house. He organized the Associate Church in 1822, served as county commissioner from 1819 to 1828 and helped start the town's first library. Elza Scott, who ran a salt works, bought the property in 1873, and his family held it until 1977. It is one of only three settlement-era buildings left in Cambridge and now serves as law offices.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of only three remaining examples of settlement architecture in Cambridge and an outstanding example of Greek Revival-influenced traditional architecture in the Midwest. It was built for William McCracken (1787-1872), an early civic leader who organized the Associate Church, served as county commissioner and helped found the town's first library. Later it passed to the Scott family, who held it until 1977.
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 78002071, listed December 20, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 819 Steubenville Ave., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Guernsey County |
| Listed | December 20, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002071 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | William McCracken |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival-influenced traditional architecture (I-house) |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Politics/Government, Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and rehabilitated for use as law offices; described as not radically altered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.02644, -81.58933 (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 78002071.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138348813
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.