Shawnee Historic District
Why it's listed
Shawnee, in Perry County, Ohio, was laid out by T.J. Davis in 1872 and grew quickly as rail lines opened the region's coal fields. By 1880 it had 2,800 residents, and by 1883 it had hotels, five churches, a newspaper and eight to ten nearby mines. The historic district covers about 7.5 acres along Main Street. Its hallmark is the two-story frame building with a storefront below, an apartment above and a full-width wooden porch on the second floor. Larger buildings include the brick IOOF Building, with ornate specially made brick detailing, and the three-story Knights of Labor Building, marked as an opera house erected in 1881. Deep shaft mining has since ended, most businesses have closed, and the population has dropped to 914. Almost none of the late nineteenth century buildings have been demolished. The district was listed as an example of boom town architecture and as a reminder of the coal industry that built the town.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues Shawnee is Ohio's best-preserved coal boom town, with almost none of its late nineteenth century buildings demolished. It is also significant industrially, because the town grew with deep shaft coal mining, which required a large labor force.
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 76001507, listed March 17, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Both sides of Main St., 2nd St. to Walnut St., Shawnee |
|---|---|
| County | Perry County |
| Listed | March 17, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76001507 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1872-1910 |
| Architectural style | No single style; the form describes the boom town architecture as eclectic |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Many second floors are still occupied, but the first-floor storefronts have long been empty and most businesses have closed. The Hannah Brothers Building is still in use. |
| Acreage | 7.5 |
| Coordinates | 39.60411, -82.21236 (NPS GIS) |
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 76001507.
- 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.