Smith, William R., House
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built in 1894 at 920 Marietta Street in Zanesville, Ohio, this three-story brick house sits on a sandstone foundation beneath a roof of intersecting gables. Paired round-arched first-floor windows with heavy rock-faced stone heads reflect the Richardsonian mode, while corbeled brickwork hints at Queen Anne influence. A two-story bay window projects from the east side. The house was designed by Henry Clay Lindsay (1845-1902), a Zanesville native who began as a contractor and was listed as an architect in city directories by 1875. He designed scores of residential, commercial and industrial buildings across Ohio and beyond, and is described as the most prolific architect Zanesville ever produced. The client was William R. Smith, a local grocer. The house is the only remaining Lindsay residence on the city's southeast side. Its interior has been heavily vandalized, but plans call for exterior restoration and conversion of the interior into a community center.
Significance in brief: The house is nominated for its architecture as the work of Henry Clay Lindsay, described as the most prolific architect Zanesville ever produced. It reflects Lindsay's Richardsonian Romanesque approach through its heavy round-arched stone trim. It is the only remaining Lindsay house on the southeast side of the city.
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 82003627, listed June 1, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 920 Marietta St., Zanesville |
|---|---|
| County | Muskingum County |
| Listed | June 1, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003627 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1894 |
| Architect / builder | H. C. Lindsay, architect |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque, with Queen Anne influences |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant, with a heavily vandalized interior; the city has committed $35,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds toward exterior restoration and reuse of the interior as a community center. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Muskingum River Navigation Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.93620, -82.00241 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 82003627.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q60743005
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.