Tappan House
Why it's listed
Built in 1894 on Park Avenue West in Mansfield, Ohio, this 2½-story wood-frame house is a richly detailed example of Queen Anne residential architecture. It has a round corner tower with a high conical roof topped by an ironwork finial, a Palladian window in the attic, an eyebrow window in the roof, and numerous chimneys. The front porch has turned baluster supports, a carved pediment and wood lattice that forms round arches at each bay on both porch levels. Inside, a broad hallway leads to an elaborate stair rising in three landings, and fine woodwork survives. The house was the home of the founder of Tappan Industries, makers of the Eclipse Stove and later a major appliance manufacturer. It remained in the founder's family until a few years before the nomination, which helps explain why both interior and exterior show little alteration. Its lattice work is the only distinctive example surviving on Park Avenue West.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an exceptionally fine and well-preserved example of Queen Anne architecture. It has the only distinctive wood lattice work that survives on any building along Park Avenue West. It stayed with the original family until recently, so it has had fewer changes than similar houses on the avenue. It is also associated with the founder of Tappan Industries, one of the city's largest industrial concerns.
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 83002050, listed July 8, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 308 Park Ave., W., Mansfield |
|---|---|
| County | Richland County |
| Listed | July 8, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83002050 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Residential use; interior maintained and exterior in very good condition. Shrubbery that once hid the porch has been removed. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.75198, -82.51719 (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 83002050.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138663287
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.