Sturges, Susan, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1880 on the south side of Park Avenue West in Mansfield, this two-story wood-frame house is an Italianate residence with clapboard siding, a hip roof of standing-seam metal and a cross-shaped plan. Its features include paired windows with elaborate hood moldings, wide overhanging eaves with paired brackets, a two-story projecting bay on the west side and large corbelled chimneys. The detailed two-story front porch appears to be a later addition, and a lower two-story section extends to the rear. When it was built, the house stood at the western edge of town on a street fast becoming the location of the best houses. It is regarded as one of the city's most outstanding Italianate buildings and survived the area's early twentieth-century redevelopment. Susan Sturges, a prominent local philanthropist and descendant of Massachusetts Pilgrim settlers, lived here and gave funds for Mayflower Church, which she named for her ancestry.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as an extremely well-preserved and outstanding example of Italianate architecture on Park Avenue West and in the city, one that survived the area's early 20th-century redevelopment. It is also tied to Susan Sturges, a local philanthropist and community leader who funded construction of Mayflower Church.
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 83002049, listed July 8, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 317 Park Ave., W., Mansfield |
|---|---|
| County | Richland County |
| Listed | July 8, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83002049 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a residence; exterior condition described as good, with a two-story front porch that appears to be a later addition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.75866, -82.52635 (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 83002049.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138663245
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.