Swetland House
Also known as: London Community Art Center
Why it's listed
Built in 1871 on a slight rise on East High Street in London, Ohio, this red brick Italianate house has fourteen rooms, two and a half stories and three bays. It was built for Jeriah Swetland, who settled in London in 1856, prospered in a partnership with his brother-in-law, and later developed the Swetland residential addition southeast of downtown. Pressed metal hoodmolds over segmental arch windows, a bracketed cornice with fretwork, a hipped roof with iron cresting and a long south porch give the exterior its character. Inside, a dark oak stairway and four cast iron fireplaces stand out against otherwise plain finishes. The house was divided into apartments between 1933 and the early 1970s, then rehabilitated, and it now serves as a community arts center. It was listed because it is one of the few surviving high-style Italianate homes in London away from Main Street, and because it recalls a influential local businessman.
Significance in brief: The nomination ties the house to Jeriah Swetland, a prominent local businessman who developed the Swetland residential addition southeast of downtown. It also argues the house is a fine, well-preserved example of high-style Italianate architecture, one of the few remaining that are not on Main Street.
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 83002007, listed January 11, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 147 E. High St., London |
|---|---|
| County | Madison County |
| Listed | January 11, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83002007 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and used as a community arts center; rehabilitated after being divided into four apartments between 1933 and the early 1970s, with the exterior returned to its 19th century appearance. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.88936, -83.44401 (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 83002007.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7655937
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.