Brendel, Charles, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1867 for Charles Brendel (1833-1911), a Zanesville merchant who ran a shoe store in the city for many years, this brick cottage at 427 Wayne Avenue is a small-scale example of Gothic Revival design. The L-shaped, 1½-story house rests on a sandstone foundation and has a slate roof with gable-end chimneys. Its east-facing facade has four bays, a trabeated doorway with transom and sidelights, and a center gable. The portico has chamfered posts framing quatrefoil ornaments and lightly sawn bargeboard, while porch benches repeat the multifoil motif. Lacy bargeboard survives around the whole house. Tax records for 1867 note "$1500 added--brick house." The house is significant because only three Gothic Revival residences remain in Zanesville, where the style came late and never became widely popular. This one is regarded as the finest, with an essentially unaltered exterior and interior. A wood-frame board-and-batten garage is the only outbuilding.
Significance in brief: It is nominated as one of only three remaining Gothic Revival residences in Zanesville and the finest of the three. The style arrived late in the city and was never popular there, since Greek Revival gave way directly to Italianate-inspired modes. The house retains an essentially unaltered exterior and interior.
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 80003191, listed November 25, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 427 Wayne Ave., Zanesville |
|---|---|
| County | Muskingum County |
| Listed | November 25, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003191 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in excellent condition, on its original site, and used as a private residence; the form says the exterior and interior are essentially unaltered apart from removed exterior shutters. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Muskingum River Navigation Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.93386, -82.00261 (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 80003191.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138645732
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.