New Market Township Community House
Also known as: New market Methodist--Episcopal Church
Why it's listed
Built in 1851 on a plot bought for fifty dollars, this brick building in New Market, Highland County, began as a Methodist-Episcopal church. It is a simple rectangle, 50 by 40 feet, with a limestone foundation, brick walls laid in common bond, a gabled roof and stained-glass windows. The church closed between 1915 and 1921, and in 1923 the township trustees bought it for $370. Since then it has served as the community's meeting place for social events, school programs, entertainment and voting, and as the trustees' meeting room. Inside are a stage added in the 1920s, a vestibule, and a pocket-door arrangement dividing the rooms. A World War II honor roll listing 62 local men hangs in the foyer. The building was listed for its role in the community's civic and social life from 1851 to 1953 and as a well-preserved example of mid-nineteenth-century vernacular meeting-house architecture. The nomination notes that it has been altered only modestly since 1923.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues for significance under Criterion A because the building has been the center of social and civic life in this rural community since 1923, hosting gatherings and township government. Under Criterion C, it is a relatively intact local example of a plain, gable-roofed vernacular form used for rural churches and meeting halls in mid-19th-century Ohio. It is described as the oldest church-built building extant in New Market.
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 04000151, listed March 10, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 4641 US 62, Hillsboro |
|---|---|
| County | Highland County |
| Listed | March 10, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000151 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1851-1953 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as the township trustees' meeting place; the form describes deferred maintenance on the roof, trim, doors and windows, and diminished use as a gathering hall. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.13749, -83.66830 (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 04000151.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138359478
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.