Rattermann, Heinrich A., House
Why it's listed
This three-story brick house at 510 York Street in Cincinnati dates to about 1860 and is a clear example of the Italianate style common in the city. It has a stone foundation, a flat roof with a dominant bracketed cornice, and a three-bay facade. Upper windows have bracketed sills and carved moulded lintels, while the arched first-floor windows carry keystones. A recessed side entrance is framed by elaborately carved stone trim. A narrower three-story rear wing was built with the main house, and the original stone retaining wall, steps and wrought iron fence survive. The house is tied to Heinrich A. Rattermann, a German immigrant who arrived in Cincinnati in 1846, founded a mutual fire insurance company in 1858, and became a prolific historian and author documenting German-American settlement in Ohio. He lived here from 1895 until his death in 1923, and the home served as a literary center for German-American writing. The nomination aimed to encourage the owners to preserve it.
Significance in brief: The house was the home of Heinrich A. Rattermann, described as the most prolific German-American author and Cincinnati's greatest German man of letters. It served as a literary center of German-American literature. It is also a good, unaltered example of the Italianate style.
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 80003080, listed May 23, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 510 York St., Cincinnati |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | May 23, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003080 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1860 |
| Architect / builder | Heinrich A. Rattermann |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Literature, European, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied, with present use given as warehouse; exterior reported unchanged since 1975 photographs. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.11731, -84.52355 (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 80003080.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5699920
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.