Downing, John, Jr., House
Also known as: Meg-267-14
Why it's listed
Built in 1859 for Rodney Downing in downtown Middleport, Ohio, this brick house has an attached office that opened for insurance business in 1868. It was home to four generations of the Downing family. John B. Downing Jr. took over the family insurance business in 1914 and expanded into coal, oil and gas, salt, water companies, brick paving and banking, helping organize the Citizens National Bank. In 1921 he hired Charleston, West Virginia, architect Fred Crowther to modernize the home. Crowther gave the exterior a Colonial Revival look with a columned portico, paired entry doors, metal balustrades, dormers and a brick sunroom, while the interior gained new bathrooms, a breakfast nook and a sleeping porch. A local lumber company carried out the work. Of five similar four-over-four houses recorded in Middleport, none other received Colonial Revival changes. The house is also the only known Ohio-side work of Crowther.
Significance in brief: It is nominated under Criterion B for its link to John B. Downing Jr., a locally prominent businessman who founded a local bank, and under Criterion C as a good example of Colonial Revival remodeling. It is also the only currently identified Ohio-side work of Charleston, West Virginia, architect Frederick Crowther. Of the five four-over-four end-gable houses surveyed in Middleport, it is the only one with Colonial Revival changes.
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 93000403, listed May 6, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 220--232 N. Second Ave., Middleport |
|---|---|
| County | Meigs County |
| Listed | May 6, 1993 |
| Reference number | 93000403 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1914-1942 |
| Architect / builder | Crowther, Frederick, Architect; Miller, R. A., Lumber Co., Contractor |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house retains its four-over-four form with the 1921 alterations. The former carriage house was converted to a garage in the 1950s and is no longer a contributing part of the property. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.00322, -82.04778 (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 93000403.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6230018
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.