Market Street Section, Retaining Wall and Water Trough
Also known as: Old Market Street/Floto Historic Site
Why it's listed
Old Market Street in Steubenville is a stretch of abandoned roadway about 1,150 feet long, with an ornamental retaining wall and water trough beside it. The street was paved with Belgium Block in 1909, chosen because its coarse surface gave horses better footing on the steep Market Street hill. Asphalt covered it in the late 1950s, though excavations suggest the original pavers survive below. In 1910 the Floto Brothers Construction Company built the 80-foot wall and trough about halfway up the grade so that horses hauling heavy wagons could drink and rest. Its precast "granolithic" concrete panels, fluted pilasters, lion's head spout and shell basin remain, though weathered. A spring once fed the trough. Circus caravans, including horses and elephants, stopped here on the way to the hilltop. The property was listed for its place in the city's transportation history and as an example of the Floto firm's concrete work.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the street section and its wall and trough are among the best remaining traces of early transportation history in Steubenville, where horse-drawn wagons climbed a steep hill. The wall and trough are also an engineering example of the Floto Brothers' regionally known "granolithic" concrete. The form finds no other known Floto work using the material in a similar way.
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 92001353, listed October 8, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Old Market St. between Market St. off ramp and Lawson Ave., Steubenville |
|---|---|
| County | Jefferson County |
| Listed | October 8, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001353 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1909-1942 |
| Architect / builder | Floto Brothers Construction Company |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Old Market Street has been closed to the public since State Route 43 was built in 1973. The wall and trough are deteriorated, and restoration is planned for early 1993. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 40.36393, -80.62539 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 92001353.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.