Muskingum College Campus Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Also known as: Muskingum University Historic District
No coordinates published for this listing.
Why it's listed
Muskingum College, founded in 1837 in New Concord, Ohio, is represented here by a district of its earliest and most influential buildings. Spread across rolling terrain north of the town center, the group includes Paul Hall (1873), Johnson Hall (1899), the Little Theatre (1900), Brown Chapel (1912), Montgomery Hall (1921), Patton Hall (1921) and Cambridge Hall (1927). Most are brick with limestone trim and red tile roofs. Columbus architect Frank Packard designed Brown Chapel and Montgomery Hall, while Canton architect J. Kerr Griffin designed Cambridge Hall. College Drive United Presbyterian Church is included because of the school's long ties to the Presbyterian Church. A small lakeside gazebo called the Spoonholder and a powerhouse built to match the campus design also contribute. The district was listed because these buildings shaped the growth of the college, which educated thousands of students and became an educational and cultural center for this part of Ohio. Its boundaries cover the campus built before 1930.
Significance in brief: The district contains the buildings that played central roles in the development of Muskingum College, founded in 1837, which has educated thousands of students and maintained close ties to the Presbyterian Church. The buildings show shifts in architectural taste for educational buildings over fifty years. The college also served as an art and cultural center for this part of Ohio.
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 100006314, listed March 29, 2021. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Stormont St. & College, Lakeside, and Stadium Drs., New Concord |
|---|---|
| County | Muskingum County |
| Listed | March 29, 2021 |
| Reference number | 100006314 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Frank Packard (Brown Chapel, Montgomery Hall); J. Kerr Griffin (Cambridge Hall); William C. Handschy (contractor, Brown Chapel); E. Mast (Cambridge Hall); Dunzweiler (Patton Hall) |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival (Brown Chapel); Jacobethan Revival elements (Montgomery and Cambridge Halls); Colonial Revival elements (Patton Hall) |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Campus buildings remain in use for classrooms, offices, theatre, worship and housing; Cambridge Hall was renovated in 1975 and Johnson Hall was undergoing renovation at the time of the original nomination. |
| Acreage | 18.73 |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 100006314.
- 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.