Young-Shaw House
Why it's listed
Built around 1870 on a steep hillside above State Route 146 east of Sarahsville, this 2½-story balloon frame house measures 27 by 42 feet and is sheathed in beveled siding. The five-bay facade has a centered doorway with a transom, sidelights and plain pilasters, and the central hall holds an open-string stair with a walnut balustrade. An original two-level portico was removed after World War I and replaced with a simple porch. Henry Young, a tobacco farmer, packer and shipper who helped organize the local United Brethren church, hired Senecaville builder Tobias Shaw to construct it. Shaw's son Manual helped build the house and married Young's daughter Caroline, and their descendants have owned it since. The property includes tobacco barns, a corncrib, a smokehouse and a stone quarry that supplied the foundation and fireplaces. It was listed for its link to Young and to the tobacco industry that flourished in Noble and Monroe counties after the Civil War.
Significance in brief: The house is nominated for its association with Henry Young, the principal tobacco processor in Center Township and an organizer of the Fredericksdale United Brethren Church. He built the house to reflect his standing as his tobacco packing and shipping business grew. It also reflects the importance of tobacco farming in Ohio after the Civil War.
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 80003203, listed February 8, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E of Sarahsville on OH 146, Sarahsville |
|---|---|
| County | Noble County |
| Listed | February 8, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003203 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Tobias Shaw |
| Areas of significance | Religion, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied and vacant; the owners plan to restore the windows, siding, front door, and eventually the portico and picket fence. |
| Acreage | 30 |
| Coordinates | 39.80296, -81.43228 (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 80003203.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8057841
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.