Hurth Hotel
Also known as: Rivertown Apartments
Why it's listed
Hotel Hurth is an eight-story hotel at 222 Chillicothe Street in Portsmouth, Ohio, built around 1926 to designs by Portsmouth architect C. C. Taylor. Its tan Flemish bond brick walls, cast stone trim, arcaded basement, and a three-bay entrance with a stone balconette and large metal canopy give it a Renaissance Revival character. A dentiled cornice with modillion brackets crowns the top story. It sits near the Ohio River at the south end of the main commercial core, beside two- and three-story late Victorian buildings. The hotel reflects a period when Portsmouth merchants, supported by firebrick, shoe and machinery manufacturing, built a new, taller commercial center along Chillicothe Street. Together with the nearby U.S. Grant Bridge, it marked the completion of that center, and for years it served as the town's social hub. Its quality declined in the 1970s after a newer hotel opened nearby. In 1982 it was converted to low-income housing for senior citizens, with some original windows and doors replaced by compatible metal units.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the hotel as a major architectural contribution to early twentieth-century Portsmouth. It was one of several high-rise, classically detailed buildings that expressed the optimism of the booming industrial economy and marked completion of the new city center along Chillicothe Street. It was long regarded as the community's social center.
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 83002056, listed July 28, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 222 Chillicothe St., Portsmouth |
|---|---|
| County | Scioto County |
| Listed | July 28, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83002056 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific date c 1926) |
| Architect / builder | C. C. Taylor Architect (Portsmouth) |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Converted in 1982 to low-income senior citizen housing (Rivertown Apartments); described as in excellent condition and altered, with original windows replaced by metal units. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 38.73206, -82.99659 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 83002056.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138672109
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.