Garfield, Halsey, House
Why it's listed
Halsey Garfield built this two-story wood frame house around 1850 on farmland next to his father Milton Garfield's property in Sheffield, Ohio. Milton had come to the area from Massachusetts in 1816. The house is cross-shaped, with a central section whose gable end faces the street, a long one-story wing on one side and a later screened porch on the other. Its clapboard siding and wood trim are notable, especially the corner pilasters with unusual raked capitals and a carefully detailed main entrance with Greek-inspired ornament and a peaked architrave that anticipates Italianate design. The original four-panel door and six-over-six windows survive, and the interior woodwork has been largely restored. Local builder Douglas Smith is credited with the work. Facing the Village Hall and Garfield Cemetery, the house and Milton Garfield's house are the key pre-Civil War buildings in old Sheffield. It was listed for its architectural quality and its role in preserving the town's historic identity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is unusually well detailed in the Greek Revival style, notably for its raked corner pilaster capitals and finely detailed entrance, which also hints at Italianate influence. It is also one of the key pre-Civil War buildings in the old center of Sheffield, across from the Village Hall and Garfield Cemetery. It is cited in Richard Campen's book on Western Reserve architecture.
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 78002116, listed May 22, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 4789 Detroit Rd., Sheffield |
|---|---|
| County | Lorain County |
| Listed | May 22, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002116 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Douglas Smith, a local master builder, has been credited with the house. |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and in use as a private residence, with few interior changes. |
| Acreage | 1.7 |
| Coordinates | 41.42197, -82.09290 (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 78002116.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138515067
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.