Barber-Whitticar House
Why it's listed
Built between 1904 and 1906 by Orrin Barber, this house at 519 Cleveland Avenue SW in Canton combines Colonial Revival and Queen Anne features. It has a multi-planed, gabled roofline, wall dormers, a polygonal turret, fish scale siding, Palladian-style windows and a verandah with fluted Ionic columns. Barber was part of an extended family network tied to Ida Saxton McKinley, wife of President William McKinley, and several relatives built homes nearby. The house is described as the most distinguished surviving example of Canton's Colonial Revival/Queen Anne phase, dating from before the city's wealthy residents moved north and west. By the 1920s the Whitticar family used it as a funeral home, and in the 1960s it became an art gallery. These uses are credited with protecting its character while surrounding buildings were demolished. At the time of listing it was unoccupied, with restoration hoped for by a local preservation group.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is the most distinguished of the few remaining Colonial Revival/Queen Anne structures in Canton. It survives from the last period before the city's elite built north and west of the commercial core. It is also tied to an extended family network, including relatives of Ida Saxton McKinley, who helped build the town.
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 82003642, listed July 15, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 519 Cleveland Ave, SW., Canton |
|---|---|
| County | Stark County |
| Listed | July 15, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003642 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (built by Orrin Barber) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival/Queen Anne |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Marked unoccupied on the form. A local preservation organization held an option on it, and the owner had received city grants in 1980 and 1981 for window rehabilitation and exterior painting. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.79580, -81.37779 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 82003642.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138684863
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.