Morehouse-Downes House
Why it's listed
Built in 1837 by Lorenzo Morehouse, this two-story frame house at 4 South River Road in Waterville, Ohio, is described as one of the finest Greek Revival homes in the area. It has a nearly square plan and a hip roof. The recessed front entrance on the east side has a plain panelled architrave, pilasters, sidelights and a three-part transom. Windows are double-hung with shutters, and a wide plain frieze runs beneath the roof. Inside, a stairway curves along two walls of the entrance hall, with two parlors, a dining room and original floor boards. The house stands above the Maumee River on the town's oldest commercial street, on the site of the original Wabash Hotel, just south of the 1828 Columbian House. Morehouse and James Brigham ran the Pekin Mill, a grist and saw mill, during the canal era. John Isham bought the house in 1870 for his daughter, who married Dr. Samuel Downs; the Downs family lived there until 1960.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the finest Greek Revival homes in the area. It stands on Waterville's oldest commercial street, above the Maumee River, on the site of the original Wabash Hotel. It is tied to Lorenzo Morehouse, who ran the Pekin Mill during the town's canal era.
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 75001476, listed May 29, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 4 S. River Rd., Waterville |
|---|---|
| County | Lucas County |
| Listed | May 29, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001476 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (ca. 1837) |
| Architect / builder | Lorenzo Morehouse (builder/original owner) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as a private residence in good condition, altered by a ca. 1900 one-story south addition; occupied. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.49899, -83.71755 (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 75001476.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138558787
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.