Ashville Depot
Also known as: Ashville Norfolk & Western Station
Why it's listed
Ashville's depot is a modest one-story frame building, roughly 15 by 70 feet, with board-and-batten walls, a gable roof and decorative eave brackets. It was built in 1876 when the Scioto Valley Railroad finished its line from Portsmouth to Columbus. The town grew up where the tracks crossed a major country road, and the depot became a center of passenger and commercial activity for surrounding farmland. Norfolk & Western bought the railroad in 1890, and around 1900 the building was lengthened and its conical-roofed tower was probably removed, giving it a long, narrow profile. After passenger service ended in 1976, the depot was threatened with demolition and local citizens moved it about 700 feet. It now sits roughly 150 feet from the track. A supporting statement values it as a typical combination depot, the last on the Columbus-to-Portsmouth line, rather than as a distinctive design.
Significance in brief: The depot is tied to the founding and growth of Ashville, which developed where the railroad crossed a major country road. It may be the only surviving depot from the Scioto Valley Railroad. A later statement argues it is a typical small combination station of the Norfolk & Western and the last of its kind on the line between Columbus and Portsmouth.
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 80003209, listed February 25, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Madison and Cromley Sts., Ashville |
|---|---|
| County | Pickaway County |
| Listed | February 25, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003209 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Moved about 700 feet to a new foundation after the railroad ended passenger service in 1976 and vacated it; being restored by a local community group for a future heritage center. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.71502, -82.95536 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 80003209.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4806155
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.