Pomeroy Historic District
Also known as: See Also:Pomeroy Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Why it's listed
Pomeroy's historic district occupies a narrow strip of land between high stone cliffs and the Ohio River in Meigs County, Ohio. Its focal point is the county courthouse, built 1845-1848 to a Federal-style design by S.S. Bergin and later enlarged with wings, a stone stairway, a portico and a round cupola. Around it stand two- and three-story brick commercial buildings, largely from the later nineteenth century, with bracketed cornices, hoodmolds, iron balconies and dated parapets such as those marked 1885 and 1891. The Meigs Inn adds a conical-roofed corner turret. Pomeroy grew rich on coal and salt, shipping coal down the river, and that money financed the commercial blocks. When the coal and salt trades faded and steamboats declined, building stopped, so the downtown changed little over the following eight decades. Upper stories keep their Italianate detail, while ground-floor storefronts have been altered. Later brick buildings fill gaps left by fire and demolition without disrupting the street's rhythm.
Significance in brief: The district is described as a virtually intact 19th-century commercial center with fine Italianate detailing, despite altered storefronts. It reflects Pomeroy's prosperity as a coal-mining and river-shipping town, whose coal money paid for its commercial blocks. Economic decline after the late 1800s meant little rebuilding, preserving the streetscape.
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 78003551, listed November 14, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2nd and Main Sts., Pomeroy |
|---|---|
| County | Meigs County |
| Listed | November 14, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78003551 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1848-1891 |
| Architect / builder | S.S. Bergin (courthouse design) |
| Architectural style | Italianate (commercial buildings); Federal (original courthouse) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked good and altered. Storefronts are modernized, but buildings have found adaptive uses. A recent fire destroyed several attached structures, and a few listed properties were noted as vacant. |
| Acreage | 18 |
| Coordinates | 39.02763, -82.03299 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 78003551.
- 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.