Earley-Hartzell House
Also known as: Hartzell,Mabel,Museum
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Why it's listed
Built in 1867 for tanner Matthew Earley, this two-story red brick house on North Park Avenue in Alliance is a well-preserved example of Italianate residential design. Its low cross-hip roof has brackets and modillions, the windows have segmental arches, and a full-width front porch features wooden arches that create an arcade effect, a detail described as unique in the city. Inside, the original floor plan, woodwork, staircase and seven different marble fireplaces survive. The house is also associated with Mabel Hartzell, adopted by the Earleys as a child, who grew up there. She taught in Alliance for about thirty years and in 1911 became the first woman elected to the local Board of Education, later serving as its first woman president. She helped found the Alliance Historical Society in 1939 and willed the house to it. After her death in 1954 it became a museum.
Significance in brief: It is described as one of the most distinctive and intact examples of Italianate architecture in Alliance, with a porch arcade unique in the city and an intact original floor plan. It is also tied to Mabel Hartzell, a longtime teacher and school board member who was the first woman elected to the Alliance Board of Education and its first woman president.
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 87002147, listed December 21, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 840 N. Park Ave., Alliance |
|---|---|
| County | Stark County |
| Listed | December 21, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87002147 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1867 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a museum (the Mabel Hartzell Museum), operated by the Alliance Historical Society. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.93024, -81.10446 (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 87002147.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138679709
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.