Omar Chapel
Also known as: Second Regular Baptist Church of Reed Township
Why it's listed
Omar Chapel is a rectangular wood church on State Route 4 near Attica, Ohio, built in 1843 for the Second Regular Baptist Church of Reed Township. It has a gable roof, a full portico with a triangular pediment, and four square Tuscan columns across a three-bay facade. The walls are weatherboard on a coursed rubble stone foundation. Inside, the original pulpit, notched side pews, bow back choir chairs, ingrain carpet and an 1855 Bible remain, and the building has never had electric lights, water or fuel lines. The chapel is the only surviving building of Omar, the first settlement in Reed Township and a stop on the Columbus and Sandusky Turnpike, which declined after the railroad bypassed it. The congregation merged with the Attica Baptist church in 1911, and local groups have maintained the chapel since. It is valued as an unusually pure and well-preserved Greek Revival country church and as a reminder of the early settlement period. Memorial Day services continue there each year.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an excellent, highly intact example of Greek Revival architecture and the purest example in the vicinity of Reed and Venice Townships. It is also the only surviving building of the 19th-century community of Omar, the first settlement in Reed Township, and the only unaltered building of its period in the township.
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 87001982, listed November 5, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 408 OH 4, Attica |
|---|---|
| County | Seneca County |
| Listed | November 5, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001982 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1843 - c. 1860s |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used annually for Memorial Day services and occasional funerals, and open to tourists; maintained since 1953 by the Omar Chapel Association. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 41.11828, -82.86280 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
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 87001982.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17012895
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.