Christman, Nicholas, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1873-1874 at a cost of $2,900, this Italianate brick house at 532 Wayne Avenue in Zanesville sits on a limestone foundation and a terraced hillside. It is a two-and-a-half-story rectangle with a projecting front bay, a slate hip roof, a one-story kitchen wing, and a richly bracketed cornice. Round-arched windows with heavy carved lintels line the front and sides, and the main door has etched colored glass in its transom and sidelights. Inside, plaster cornices and unpainted oak and chestnut woodwork survive, with only sensitive alterations such as a modern kitchen and bathroom. The house was built for Nicholas Christman, a Bavarian-born merchant tailor who arrived in Zanesville in 1854, and it has stayed in his family ever since. It was listed because it is among the best-preserved Victorian Italianate homes in the city, where such ornate residences have largely vanished, and because its interior remains so little changed.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the best-preserved examples of Victorian Italianate residential architecture in Zanesville. Richly detailed Italianate houses like it have mostly disappeared, though the style is still fairly common in the commercial district. Its little-altered interior adds to its importance for Zanesville and Muskingum County.
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 78002159, listed May 22, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 532 Wayne Ave., Zanesville |
|---|---|
| County | Muskingum County |
| Listed | May 22, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002159 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | J.Y. Smeltzer |
| Architectural style | Italianate (Victorian Italianate) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Private residence, occupied; interior described as little altered and the house has remained in the Christman family since construction. |
| Acreage | 3.3 |
| Within district | Muskingum River Navigation Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.93099, -82.00116 (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 78002159.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138645455
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.