Mantua Center District (Boundary Increase)
No coordinates published for this listing.
Why it's listed
Mantua Center is a small crossroads township center in Portage County, Ohio, grouped around a public common where State Route 82 meets Mantua Center Road. Its five buildings are two churches, a town hall and two houses, nearly all built around 1835-1840. The Christian Church, formed in 1827 after Sidney Rigdon began preaching in Mantua, is described as the oldest Campbellite congregation in Ohio. James A. Garfield was among the visiting pastors from Hiram. The former Methodist church, whose congregation moved to Mantua Village in 1895, later served as a township school annex and since 1968 as a civic center. The town hall is notable for its octagonal cupola with a hemispherical dome, a Greek Revival feature rarely preserved on public buildings. One house began as a store built in 1835 and was later converted to a residence. The district was listed as an intact early nineteenth century township center, valued as a whole more than for any single building.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a remarkably intact early nineteenth century crossroads township center with community, religious and residential buildings, though its parts lack great individual distinction. The Christian Church is described as the oldest Campbellite congregation in Ohio. The town hall is notable for its octagonal Greek Revival cupola, which is rarely preserved on public buildings.
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 100009586, listed November 28, 2023. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 4103-3991 State Route 82, 11670-11755 Mantua Center Road, 11653- 11677 Diagonal Road, 11701-11715 School Lan, Mantua Center |
|---|---|
| County | Portage County |
| Listed | November 28, 2023 |
| Reference number | 100009586 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1835-1895 |
| Architect / builder | Amos Morris and Lewis Reed (builders of the Methodist church buildings); Calvin White (built the store, later a house, in 1835) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, with Gothic revival features on one church |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is listed as good and altered. The former Methodist church serves as a civic center and is in the poorest condition of the five main buildings. The Christian Church steeple was restored in 1973. |
| Acreage | 35.97 |
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 100009586.
- 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.