Courthouse Center
Why it's listed
Two brick commercial buildings stand at the southeast corner of Courthouse Square in Newark, Ohio. The northern one, at 35-37 S. Park Place, was built before 1853 and is known locally as the oldest brick commercial block on the Square. It rises three stories on a stone foundation under a truncated hip roof, with plain stone lintels and sills and some original two-over-two windows. Its Italianate neighbor to the south dates from between 1866 and 1875 and has round-arched second-floor windows and an elaborate bracketed cornice. Both have altered storefronts. The Square has been Newark's governmental and commercial center since the town was platted in 1802, and most early buildings around it were replaced between 1860 and 1910. The earlier building survives from that period, and its restrained design contrasts with the ornate buildings nearby. Together the pair represent the town's nineteenth-century commercial architecture and were being rehabilitated for continued commercial use.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the buildings are significant architecturally and historically as examples of Newark's commercial architectural heritage. The earlier building is an unusual survivor from the town's early days, and its simple design contrasts with the richly ornamented Italianate buildings around the square.
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 79001879, listed November 29, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 35--37 S. Park Pl. and jct. of S. Park and S. 2nd St., Newark |
|---|---|
| County | Licking County |
| Listed | November 29, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001879 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate (the later building); the earlier building is described as simple in design |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied; the storefronts have been altered, and the buildings were recently sold to new owners who were rehabilitating them for continued commercial use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Newark Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.05730, -82.40071 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 79001879.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138460962
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.