Pabodie, Professor William, 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
This small Second Empire cottage at 731 Brooks Avenue in Wyoming, Ohio, dates from about 1870. It is a one-and-a-half-story balloon-frame house with beveled siding and a concave wood-shingle mansard roof pierced by semicircular dormers on every side. Decorative details include paired eave brackets, a veranda with chamfered pillars and scroll-sawn gingerbread, and chimneys with triple pots. The back is as carefully finished as the front. The nomination describes it as one of Ohio's most outstanding small-scale examples of the style and the only fully developed Second Empire building in the Wyoming survey area, remarkably unaltered. It was moved back from Springfield Pike when Brooks Avenue was laid out in the 1920s, though its orientation and setting changed little. Its first notable resident, Professor William H. Pabodie, taught mathematics in Cincinnati public schools and at Woodward High School. He was among the early professionals to settle in Wyoming as it developed into a Cincinnati commuter suburb.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an outstanding, regionally significant example of a Second Empire cottage, almost entirely unaltered even to its wood shingles. It is the only fully developed Second Empire building in Wyoming. It is also tied to Professor William H. Pabodie, one of the early Cincinnati professionals to make Wyoming his home as the village was promoted as a suburb.
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 86001638, listed August 25, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 731 Brooks Ave., Wyoming |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | August 25, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001638 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Second Empire Cottage |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Exterior in good condition, described as in mint condition; interior unknown. Moved back from Springfield Pike when Brooks Avenue was built in the 1920s. Used as a residence. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 39.23125, -84.47623 (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 86001638.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7248197
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.