Marion County Telephone Company Building
Also known as: Ohio Associated Telephone Co. Bldg.(MAR-162-08); General Telephone of Ohio
Why it's listed
Located 1.5 blocks south of the Marion County courthouse, this three-story brick building was constructed in 1916 as the first in the city designed specifically for telephone switching equipment and company offices. It has fireproof concrete framing, stepped brick piers capped with stone ornament, and a stone foundation. A third floor was added in 1949 to meet growing demand, using matching materials so the addition is nearly imperceptible. Around 1965 most windows were bricked in when air conditioning was installed. The company that built it, the Marion County Telephone Company, was locally owned, and Warren G. Harding served on its board. Later the building housed General Telephone Company of Ohio, serving as its statewide headquarters from 1940 to 1964 and then as division offices. That company became the largest independent telephone provider in Ohio and a major Marion employer. The building is now vacant, though it keeps its basic form and many 1949 interior features.
Significance in brief: The building is significant under Criterion A for its link to Marion's twentieth-century telephone communications history. It was the first building in Marion built specifically to house telephone operating equipment and company offices. It later served as the statewide headquarters of General Telephone Company of Ohio, which became the state's largest independent phone company.
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 07000298, listed April 12, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 197 S. Main St., Marion |
|---|---|
| County | Marion County |
| Listed | April 12, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000298 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1916-1956 |
| Architect / builder | Architect: Unknown; Builders: 1916 Unknown; 1949 Addition: Carstenson of Pittsburgh, PA |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Communications |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as vacant / not in use. All telephone company equipment is gone from the building, and many window openings were bricked in around 1965. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Marion Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.58666, -83.12906 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 07000298.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.