Lewis, Samuel, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1837, this two-story Greek Revival house of locally quarried orange sandstone sits about 500 feet back from North Stewart Road in Mansfield, reached by a winding drive across a small stone bridge. The five-bay main block has a carved date stone above the entrance, and a one-and-a-half-story rear wing, probably the earlier section, holds a large cooking fireplace. Inside, natural black walnut trim, heavy two-panel doors and a graceful open stairway with a walnut-topped newel post survive. It was listed as the largest and best preserved pre-Civil War sandstone house in Richland County. Samuel Lewis, who bought the land in 1835, had arrived in the area in 1809, built a blockhouse during the War of 1812 and helped cut the road from Mansfield to Ashland. The house once served as an inn on the early Mansfield to Wooster stagecoach road, and abandonment of that road helped keep the setting undeveloped.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the largest and best preserved pre-Civil War sandstone house in Richland County, noting its finely crafted stone construction and intact interior woodwork and stencils. It also notes the secluded rural setting close to a city, and its past as an early inn on the first stagecoach road between Mansfield and Wooster. Original owner Samuel Lewis was an early settler who built a blockhouse and cut part of the Mansfield to Ashland road.
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 82003636, listed June 1, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 291 N. Stewart Rd., Mansfield |
|---|---|
| County | Richland County |
| Listed | June 1, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003636 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; described as in good condition and altered, with the rear one-story structure converted to a garage. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 40.76625, -82.47616 (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 82003636.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7412012
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.