Newcom House
Why it's listed
Set on Sherman Street in a modest working-class neighborhood of Dayton, this diminutive Greek Revival house takes the form of a small temple. Its brace-frame structure rests on a limestone foundation, and a pedimented porch carries two Ionic columns with fluting, egg-and-dart ornament and bead-and-reel detail. A letter from a descendant of a later occupant suggests the porch once had four columns. Inside, the moulding profiles follow Greek Revival ogee forms, and a central chimney serves fireplaces facing both parlors. The land belonged to Col. George Newcom, an early settler and tavern keeper, and tax records show an improvement on it in 1841. Whether the house was built there or moved remains unresolved, though the foundation and structural evidence point to the 1840s. The quality of its carved detail is considered unusual for the Miami Valley and recalls Dayton's Old Courthouse. Renovation was under way at the time of the nomination.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an exceptional example of a Greek Revival temple-style house. Its finely carved exterior and interior detailing is distinctive in the Miami Valley for its quality and recalls the Old Courthouse in Dayton. The structural evidence is characteristic of 1840s Greek Revival rather than the Italianate-influenced style of the 1850s.
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 80003177, listed July 21, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 53 Sherman St., Dayton |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | July 21, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003177 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival (temple form) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as deteriorated and under renovation, with utilities being installed and original mantels removed for rehabilitation; the neighborhood is run down. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.75664, -84.16350 (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 80003177.
- 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.