Octagon, The
Why it's listed
Built in 1852, this two-story octagonal brick house sits at the corner of East Market and East Perry Streets in Tiffin, across from the Heidelberg College campus. It has a rubble stone foundation, brick bearing walls, a low-pitched hip roof with a bracketed cornice, and a one-story verandah on three sides. Four chimneys are centrally placed and a fifth sits flush on the west side. A frame addition containing a kitchen and garage reaches back to the alley. Jeremiah H. Good, a founder of Heidelberg College, professor of mathematics and later president of the Heidelberg Theological Seminary, built the house and lived there until his death in 1888. His family stayed until 1907. Later occupants included Mary I. Park, a philosophy professor and the college's first Dean of Women, who lived there from 1930 to 1948. The house was later divided into apartments. It represents the college's early development and architectural variety.
Significance in brief: It was built by Jeremiah H. Good, a founder and long-serving faculty member of Heidelberg College who also drew plans for the college's first building, Founders Hall. It is included as one of the Heidelberg College historic resources tied to the college's growth and the variety of architectural styles on and near the campus.
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 79002764, listed February 12, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 297 E. Perry St., Tiffin |
|---|---|
| County | Seneca County |
| Listed | February 12, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002764 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Jeremiah H. Good |
| Architectural style | Octagon Mode |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Divided into two apartments; interior in poor condition and exterior in fair condition at the time of the inventory. A frame addition containing a kitchen and garage extends to the alley. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.11671, -83.16802 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 79002764.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7754670
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.