Fabing, Frederick, House
Also known as: Dr. John Gray Office-Residence
Why it's listed
Built in 1859, this three-story common bond brick house at 201 South Park Avenue in Fremont, Ohio, is a rare local example of French Second Empire design. It rests on a coursed stone foundation with a cutstone watertable and features a flat-sided mansard roof with ornamental metal curbs and dormers, shell-detailed hoodmolds, a projecting overdoor, a bracketed cornice, and a square tower. Inside, the front hall stairway has a birds-eye maple newel post, and a marble mantel and original woodwork survive. Frederick Fabing, who built the house, was a gas and steam fitter and plumber who came to Fremont from France as a boy. He served on city council, helped run the Fremont Gas Works for twenty-eight years, and was among the first trustees of the city's water works. The house was altered by an early addition, the loss of its cupola, and a conversion to office use around 1950, but its basic plan remains.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house embodies the distinctive characteristics of the French Second Empire style, which is rare in the Fremont area where most homes are more vernacular. It is also tied to Frederick Fabing, a local politician and a leading figure in establishing Fremont's gas and water utilities.
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 83002054, listed May 26, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 201 S. Park Ave., Fremont |
|---|---|
| County | Sandusky County |
| Listed | May 26, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83002054 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | French Second Empire |
| Areas of significance | Other, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied; the interior was converted to a combined office and residence around 1950, and parking was added next to the house for the office use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.34508, -83.11714 (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 83002054.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5497747
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.