Social Science House
Also known as: Sheidler Home; Public Relations House
Why it's listed
Social Science House is a two-story brick building at 266 E. Market Street, on the southwest corner of the Heidelberg College campus in Tiffin, Ohio. It was probably built around 1890 by Benjamin Sheidler, a Tiffin contractor who built several homes in the city's first ward. The house has a square plan, rubble stone foundation, truncated slate roof with bracketed cornice, elliptical windows with radiating voussoirs, and a triangular dormer over the center bay. Its porches have been removed and a one-story frame addition sits at the rear. After decades as a family home, later with a second-floor apartment, it was sold to Heidelberg College in 1959. The college used it as a Public Relations House from 1960 to 1970, then as faculty offices. It is included among the college's thematically related historic resources, which illustrate the institution's growth since 1850 and its architectural development.
Significance in brief: It is nominated as one of the Heidelberg College Historic Resources, a thematic group of campus properties tied to the college's growth since its founding in 1850. The house contributes to the theme of education and shows the college's chronological development through a variety of building styles. It reflects the college's reuse of a former private home for institutional purposes.
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 79002782, listed February 12, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 266 E. Market St., Tiffin |
|---|---|
| County | Seneca County |
| Listed | February 12, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002782 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Benjamin F. Sheidler (contractor/builder) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as faculty offices (Social Science House) by Heidelberg College; condition rated good inside and out. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.11587, -83.14561 (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 79002782.
- 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.