Memorial Hall
Why it's listed
Memorial Hall is a brick civic building on a corner lot at 165 E. Main Street in Circleville, completed in 1891 near the edge of the central business district. It rises three and a half stories above a rock-faced stone foundation and shows the Richardsonian Romanesque style through its massive scale, round arches, ribbon windows, paired columns and towers, including a round conical-roofed tower and a square crenellated one. Funding came from a countywide property tax levy approved by voters in 1890 and from the City of Circleville, which required that the library and armory be housed inside. The building honors Pickaway County residents who served in the Civil War. Its first floor has held the public library, while the second-floor auditorium long served as the city's largest meeting space for dances, political and civic meetings, carnivals and amateur theatricals. Original interior woodwork and a pressed tin ceiling survive, and the exterior remains largely unchanged.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an outstanding example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture in Circleville and Pickaway County, with an exterior virtually unchanged since 1891. It also served as a Civil War memorial to Pickaway County soldiers and as a long-time center of community activity, housing the public library, an armory and a civic auditorium.
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 80003211, listed November 21, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 165 E. Main St., Circleville |
|---|---|
| County | Pickaway County |
| Listed | November 21, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003211 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1891 |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in good condition; the first floor houses the public library and the auditorium is used by a local theatre group. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.60082, -82.94213 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 80003211.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14716389
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.