Houston House
Why it's listed
Located at 3708 Mead Avenue in Cincinnati's Columbia-Tusculum neighborhood, this 1½-story frame house dates to about 1900 and is a richly detailed example of Carpenter Gothic design. It rests on a rubble fieldstone foundation with a raised water table and is clad in clapboard under a slate gable roof with a metal ridge. The symmetrical three-bay facade has a central door with a lighted transom. A highly ornamental porch has square columns, decorative brackets, and dentils beneath overhanging eaves. A very decorative carved bargeboard decorates the steeply pitched center gable, which also holds a lancet door with wood lintels. Some windows appear altered, and a one-floor addition extends from the rear. A barn with a shed roof stands behind the house. The surrounding area mixes residential and commercial uses, with Victorian-era houses of similar scale. The property was recognized as a highly artistic example of its style and remains in residential use.
Significance in brief: The inventory describes it as a highly artistic example of Carpenter Gothic. It has an ornamental porch and a richly carved bargeboard on a steeply pitched center gable. It was included as an individual property in the Columbia-Tusculum multiple resource area.
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 79002704, listed August 24, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3708 Mead Ave., Cincinnati |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | August 24, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002704 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900 |
| Architectural style | Carpenter Gothic |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Exterior condition is listed as fair; the house is still used as a residence, with a one-floor rear addition and some altered windows. |
| Coordinates | 39.11276, -84.43825 (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 79002704.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5916595
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.