Tripp-Bauer Building
Also known as: Bauer Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1902 by contractor William E. Tripp, this frame commercial building at 51-53 North Jackson Street dominates the main street of South Webster, Ohio. It has a two-story main section with two storefronts and a one-story storefront attached beside it. Carved brackets, overhanging eaves and a parapet wall with a low central pediment recall the Italianate style and make the wooden structure look like solid brick. Inside, the ground floor held a hardware store, dry goods store, grocery and shoe store, and traces such as ladder tracks, ceiling hooks and a Cincinnati-made safe remain. The second-floor ballroom hosted minstrel shows, basketball games, boxing matches and lodge meetings. E. W. Bauer bought the building in 1917, and the family ran it until 1955. The building is recognized as an excellent example of vernacular commercial architecture and as a reminder of the town's prosperous railroad, brickyard and mining era, as most of its contemporaries have been demolished.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant under Criterion C as an excellent example of commercial vernacular architecture. Its carved brackets, overhanging eaves and parapet walls recall the Italianate style and give a frame building the look of solid brick. It also housed the commercial and social life of South Webster, including a second-floor ballroom, and is the most outstanding of the few remaining historic commercial buildings in the village.
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 88000719, listed June 9, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 51--53 N. Jackson St., South Webster |
|---|---|
| County | Scioto County |
| Listed | June 9, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000719 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1902 |
| Architect / builder | William E. Tripp, contractor |
| Architectural style | Italianate (vernacular commercial building reminiscent of Italianate) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | At the time of the nomination the first floor held a restaurant and an upholstery shop; the rear of the one-story section had partly collapsed and was being stabilized. Many windows and some doors were boarded, and the form describes the building as retaining good integrity despite years of disrepair. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.81665, -82.72634 (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 88000719.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.