Clossman Hardware Store
Why it's listed
Located on Main Street in Zanesville along the National Road, this three-story brick building was constructed in 1876 for businessman David J. Richards and was long known as the Richards Block. Clossman Hardware, founded that year by Isaac N. Clossman, has occupied it since the beginning, selling builders' hardware, mine and farm supplies, cutlery, guns and ammunition. The facade shows commercial Italianate design: tall windows with different arch shapes on each floor, incised stone lintels, stone beltcourses and a boldly projecting bracketed cornice with floral trim. The storefront was redesigned in 1922 by architect Clarence E. Handschy, and some windows have since been blocked or filled with glass block. Inside, rolling ladders, oiled wood floors, floor-to-ceiling shelving and a stamped metal ceiling survive. Many of downtown Zanesville's other nineteenth-century buildings have been heavily altered or lost, which makes this one a recognized architectural and commercial landmark and the city's only hardware business continuing from the 1800s.
Significance in brief: It is nominated for architecture as a good example of commercial Victorian Italianate design, with tall windows, a bracketed cornice and an elaborate frieze. Its largely unaltered 19th-century hardware store interior adds to its value. It is also the only hardware store in Zanesville in continuous existence since the nineteenth century.
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 80003192, listed November 25, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 621-623 Main St., Zanesville |
|---|---|
| County | Muskingum County |
| Listed | November 25, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003192 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Clarence E. Handschy (architect of the 1922 storefront redesign) |
| Architectural style | Victorian Italianate (commercial) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Remains in use as Clossman Hardware, which has occupied the building since construction; the form's checklist marks it both occupied and unoccupied. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Muskingum River Navigation Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.94015, -82.00481 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 80003192.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138645768
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.