Fourth Street Historic District
Why it's listed
Fourth Street N.E. in Massillon, Ohio, is a broad street paved in buff, grey and black brick, lined with about thirty residential buildings, twenty-one of them considered significant. Some original wrought iron fencing, carriage steps and tethering posts survive. The houses were built over at least a century, beginning with the 1837 Hiram Wellman House, a brick Greek Revival mansion. Later examples include the Romanesque Revival Charles Steese House of 1884-5, the Italianate Nahum Russell House, Queen Anne and Eastlake houses of the 1880s, and 1920s Georgian and Greek Revival designs by architect Herman Albrecht. Cleveland architect Charles Schweinfurth designed the J. Walter McClymonds House and a remodeling of the Pocock House. Owners included leading merchants, paper makers and executives of the Russell and Company reaper and mower business. Because the street was a prestigious address from its start, the group documents both architectural fashion and the aspirations of Massillon's leading citizens, in a concentration unmatched elsewhere in Stark County.
Significance in brief: The buildings represent broad themes in 19th and 20th century architecture, including Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne/Eastlake, Romanesque Revival and early 20th century revival styles, in a concentration found nowhere else in Stark County. Because the street was long considered a good address, it also records the social progress and self-image of Massillon's leading citizens, including the Russell and Company reaper business associates.
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 82003654, listed March 25, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by 3rd, 5th and Cherry St. and Federal Ave., Massillon |
|---|---|
| County | Stark County |
| Listed | March 25, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003654 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 and 1900- (specific dates not given) |
| Architect / builder | Charles Schweinfurth (Cleveland); Herman Albrect/Albrecht; John Meinhart (builder of the Steese House) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne/Eastlake, Romanesque Revival, Twentieth Century Revivals, vernacular/eclectic |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition marked excellent and unaltered, on its original site; occupied, with private residential use. The district contains no intrusions. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 40.80119, -81.51966 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 82003654.
- 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.