Seborn, Frederick Augustus, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1866 on the Maysville Pike in southern Zanesville, this hip-roofed brick house was the home of Frederick Augustus Seborn, a teacher, Methodist minister, writer and self-taught lawyer known locally as "Squire" Seborn. The house has five bays across the front, a rusticated stone foundation, two-over-two windows with decorative lintels, and a boxed cornice with dentils. Inside, a wide central hall leads to a rounded oak stairway, and the twelve-foot ceilings and heavy woodwork survive largely intact despite the conversion to four apartments in the early 1950s. Alterations in 1973 removed the cupola, shortened the chimneys and cut back the eaves. A brick outbuilding, probably servants' quarters, remains nearby. Seborn reportedly did much of his writing in the cupola room before moving to another home in the 1880s. The house was recognized as the finest example of nineteenth-century midwestern architecture south of the Putnam Historic District and as a landmark on Zane's Trace.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as the home of F.A. Seborn, a prominent nineteenth-century Zanesville teacher, Methodist minister, writer and lawyer. It also calls the house the finest example of nineteenth-century midwestern American architecture south of the Putnam Historic District in Zanesville, and a well-known landmark on the Maysville Pike.
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 78002166, listed April 4, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1115--1119 Maysville Pike, Zanesville |
|---|---|
| County | Muskingum County |
| Listed | April 4, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002166 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | F.A. Seborn |
| Areas of significance | Education, Law, Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and divided into four apartments in the early 1950s. The cupola, front porch and deep eaves were lost in 1973 alterations. The outbuilding is used as a single-person dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Muskingum River Navigation Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.92082, -82.00991 (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 78002166.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138645560
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.