McCrea, Matthew, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1840 at 428 East Main Street in Circleville, this two-story brick house combines Greek Revival and Italianate design. Greek Revival elements include a wide entablature with frieze windows, sandstone lintels and sills, and a columned entrance portico. Italianate features include the box-like form, tall narrow windows, and a low hipped roof with paired brackets. Inside, the house retains original walnut woodwork, a circular cherry staircase, built-in cupboards and ten fireplaces. It was built for Matthew McCrea, an Irish-born merchant who came to Circleville in 1821, later farmed, shipped pork, lard and flour to New Orleans, helped found the Circleville Academy, and served as an associate judge. The house is valued as a well-preserved local example of its transitional style. Among Circleville's Greek Revival and Italianate houses, it is one of only four Italianate examples with a side hallway plan and has the highest integrity. Its farm was subdivided in 1882 as McCrea's Addition.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be an excellent example of transitional Greek Revival-Italianate architecture in Circleville, with Italianate features dominant. It is one of only four Circleville properties with Italianate features and a side hallway plan, and it has retained the highest degree of integrity among them. It is also tied to Matthew McCrea, a merchant, farmer and county judge.
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 88001714, listed September 29, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 428 E. Main St., Circleville |
|---|---|
| County | Pickaway County |
| Listed | September 29, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88001714 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | circa 1840 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Italianate; Greek Revival (transitional Greek Revival-Italianate) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling; the form reports few alterations since construction and no change between 1985 and a 1988 site visit. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.60400, -82.93512 (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 88001714.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6790944
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.