Galigher, James, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1848 by James Galigher, this 2½-story, L-shaped brick house sits on South River Road in rural Wayne Township, about three miles south of Zanesville. It has a five-bay facade, a sandstone foundation quarried on the site, six-over-six windows and slate gable roofs. Inside are eleven-foot ceilings, central hallways, twelve rooms, an 18-by-36-foot ballroom and a winding stair with a cherry balustrade. Most building materials came from the property, though slate and window glass were brought upriver from Pittsburgh by steamboat. Galigher, a Muskingum County native whose father started the county seat's first hat factory, moved to the riverside home about 1850. Later owners included a wholesale grocer and a school superintendent, and the 1913 flood reached the first-floor ceilings. The house is described as an outstanding example of large-scale midwest brick vernacular architecture. It was never divided into apartments, so it survives as a single-family residence from the second quarter of the nineteenth century.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an outstanding example of midwest brick vernacular architecture executed on a large scale. It was built early in the life of Wayne Township, with access to farmland, the road and the river. It is also noted for surviving as a single-family home that was never divided into a duplex.
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 79001916, listed February 22, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of Zanesville on S. River Rd., Zanesville |
|---|---|
| County | Muskingum County |
| Listed | February 22, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001916 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | James Galigher |
| Architectural style | Midwest brick vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence in excellent condition; restoration began after the present owners took possession in 1954. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Muskingum River Navigation Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.89929, -81.99918 (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 79001916.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138645687
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.