Bartlett, Joseph and Rachel, House
Also known as: Cole,Sardis and Margaret,House; First United Methodist Church
Why it's listed
Built about 1872-73 at 212 South Park Avenue in Fremont, Ohio, this two-story frame house is topped by a mansard roof with peaked dormers and fronted by an entry tower rising above the roofline. Italianate details include peaked window hoods, incised brackets, a classical cornice and carved porch ornament. Inside are walnut pocket doors, plaster ceiling medallions and a tiled vestibule. It was built for Joseph R. Bartlett, a lawyer and Civil War colonel who helped found the Sandusky County Bar Association, and his wife Rachel. Later owners included Sardis and Margaret Cole, from 1892, and the First Methodist Church, which used it as a parsonage from 1920 for fifty years. It returned to private ownership in 1970 and now holds medical offices and an apartment. Its significance rests on architecture: the wood-sided Second Empire and Italianate combination with a corner tower is unusual in Fremont, where comparable Second Empire houses are brick.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues significance under Criterion C as a local example of Second Empire/Italianate residential architecture. Its wood siding and corner entrance tower are a distinct form in Fremont, where other rare Second Empire examples are brick. It also shows a high degree of architectural sophistication and retains fine interior woodwork and plaster finishes.
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 90000388, listed March 21, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 212 Park Ave., Fremont |
|---|---|
| County | Sandusky County |
| Listed | March 21, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000388 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1872-73 |
| Architectural style | Second Empire; Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In use as medical offices on the first floor and an apartment, following restoration by recent owners; previously a church parsonage for about fifty years from 1920. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.34506, -83.09396 (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 90000388.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6288170
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.