Bellville Cemetery Chapel
Also known as: Ohio Historic Inventory RIC-00021-17
Why it's listed
Perched on a bluff 130 feet above the Clear Fork of the Mohican River, this small wood-frame chapel sits among mature Norway spruce trees in Bellville Cemetery. Built around 1877-1880 by an unknown builder, it measures 20 feet square and rises 1-1/2 stories under a steep cross gable roof. Its exterior shows the exuberant Queen Anne style, with clapboard and fish scale siding, scroll-sawn bargeboards, pendant drops, beaded spindles and Palladian-style window groupings. The interior is plain, with one chapel room, a two-hole privy and an attic stair. It was listed for its architecture, as an intact local example of Queen Anne funerary design that echoes the craftsmanship of Bellville's lumber mills and of the 1879 bandstand. The building held coffins over winter, hosted non-denominational funerals, and served as an aircraft spotter post in World War II. It is now vacant and owned by the village.
Significance in brief: The chapel is significant under Criterion C as an intact example of Queen Anne style funerary architecture in Richland County. Its scroll-sawn bargeboards, fish scale siding, spindlework and Palladian-style window groupings show skilled carpentry typical of the style. It also reflects the woodworking of local mills and builders during a period of village growth.
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 10000457, listed July 8, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Bellville Cemetery, SR 97, Bellville |
|---|---|
| County | Richland County |
| Listed | July 8, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000457 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1877-1880 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian / Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently vacant; owned by the Village of Bellville. Formerly used by cemetery trustees for equipment storage. Some spindle work on the south elevation has deteriorated. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.62035, -82.51874 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 10000457.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138657211
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.