Reed, C. A., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1871 on West Riddle Street in Ravenna, this two-story brick house blends Italianate and French Second Empire design. Its straight-sided mansard roof is covered in patterned, multicolored slate, and details include an offset entrance tower with quoins, a bracketed cornice with pendants, segmental window hoods with keystones, and an ashlar stone foundation. Of more than ten mansard-roofed buildings in Ravenna, it is described as the finest example. The house was built by Cornelius A. Reed, who lived there until 1924. Reed began practicing law in Ravenna in 1863 and served as county prosecuting attorney and probate judge. He also built the county's first live theater, the Reed Opera House, served as president of the Second National Bank, and donated $25,000 toward Ravenna's first public library. The original wraparound porch was removed around 1940, and the interior was later divided into apartments, though original doors, mantels and most baseboards remain.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is the paramount example of the mansard-roofed style among more than ten such buildings in Ravenna. It is also significant for its association with C.A. Reed, a lawyer, politician, businessman and philanthropist active in Ravenna from the 1860s into the early twentieth century.
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 85003116, listed October 10, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 299 W. Riddle St., Ravenna |
|---|---|
| County | Portage County |
| Listed | October 10, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85003116 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | unknown (built by Cornelius A. Reed, the original owner) |
| Architectural style | Italianate and French Second Empire |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as fair and altered; the form marks the property as unoccupied and as a private residence. The interior was divided into apartments around mid-century, and the original encircling porch was removed around 1940, with plans to reconstruct it. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 41.15508, -81.23199 (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 85003116.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138655249
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.