Universalist Church Historic District
Why it's listed
Four early buildings along Montgomery Road in Montgomery, Ohio, form a small historic district that preserves the look of the village's earliest decades. The centerpiece is the Universalist Church of 1837, a brick Classic Revival building with rounded brick columns, an octagonal wooden cupola and original box pews. It was built by James Jones from brick fired on site, on a lot donated by John and Elizabeth Vail, and is believed to be the first Universalist church in Ohio. Nearby are a Federal-style brick residence from the 1820s, the 1827 Old Manse, once a Presbyterian parsonage, and the Pioneer Building, home to community leader Abraham Slaughter and later the village physician. Together they were described as the only surviving evidence of the early village and a contrast to modern commercial development around them. The Old Manse was demolished in 1971, after the district was listed in 1970.
Significance in brief: The buildings are described as the only tangible remains of the early 19th-century village of Montgomery. The Universalist Church is believed to be the first building of its denomination erected in Ohio. The group is valued for its Federal and Classic Revival architecture and as a contrast to surrounding modern commercial development.
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 70000498, listed December 2, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Montgomery Rd. from 9433 N to Remington Ave., Montgomery |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | December 2, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000498 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1820-1837 |
| Architect / builder | James Jones (builder of the Universalist Church) |
| Architectural style | Classic Revival (church); Federal (residences) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition rated fair and altered. The church was in poor condition, unused and privately owned, with private repair efforts under way. The Old Manse was unoccupied and threatened with demolition; later correspondence records its demolition in August 1971. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 39.22814, -84.35413 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 70000498.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7894179
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.