McKee-Pumphrey House
Also known as: Evans House
Why it's listed
Built in 1883-1884 by James McKee and his son Daniel, this two-story brick house at 165 North Market Street sits at the intersection of U.S. Route 62 and State Route 586, two blocks north of the center of Martinsburg, Ohio. It has a low hipped roof with wide overhanging eaves, three tall chimneys, round-arched windows and a wrap-around porch with bracketed cornice and frieze panels. Inside, a carved walnut staircase, hand-grained woodwork, and fireplaces in the living and dining rooms survive. Changes have been limited mostly to utilities: gas in the 1890s, wiring and central heating in 1937. Two frame outbuildings from about 1900 remain. The Pumphrey family owned the property from 1891 to 1937, and lumber merchant Guy Forbing leased it and worked from an office in the house. It was listed for its architecture, as one of only two surviving Italianate residences in the village, according to a local survey of historic buildings.
Significance in brief: The house is nominated under Criterion C as a late example of residential Italianate architecture. It keeps typical features such as a hipped roof, wide overhanging eaves, a bracketed wrap-around porch and round-arched windows. It is one of only two surviving Italianate residences in the village of Martinsburg.
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 95000938, listed July 28, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 165 N. Market St., Martinsburg |
|---|---|
| County | Knox County |
| Listed | July 28, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000938 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1884-1937 |
| Architect / builder | James/Daniel McKee |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently a single-family dwelling, used by the owner family as a summer retreat since 1968; interior changes limited mainly to added utilities. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.27192, -82.35409 (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 95000938.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138397052
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.