Schmitt, Louis, House and Store
Also known as: Sum-3099-19
Why it's listed
Built in 1901 on Hickory Street in the Clinton area of Summit County, Ohio, this two-story wood-frame building served as both the home and the business of Louis Schmitt, a German immigrant who also worked as a coal miner. Its front-gabled form, drop siding, second-story porch with turned spindle posts and sawtooth trim reflect a folk version of the Queen Anne style. The basement-level space held a barroom serving Burkhardt's beer and a grocery selling staples, meats, coal and feed, and tabs could be run until payday. Nearby mining brought many laborers to the store, which became a gathering spot for working-class residents and immigrants. Catholic Sunday Mass was held upstairs until St. George's Church opened in 1908-1909. Schmitt moved his business to downtown Warwick in 1905, and the store lost its commercial importance, though the family kept the building. It is now vacant but retains much original interior fabric and a contributing privy.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant under Criterion A for Commerce, as one of the first retail businesses in Warwick during the Railroad and Mining and Industrial eras. It served as a beer garden and grocery for miners and other working-class and immigrant residents, and became a community meeting place.
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 02000084, listed February 14, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2967 Hickory St., Clinton |
|---|---|
| County | Summit County |
| Listed | February 14, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000084 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1901-1908 |
| Architectural style | Gable-fronted Vernacular (described in the text as Folk Queen Anne) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant; the first-floor display windows are covered with plywood and a rear door is boarded up. The form says the building was occupied by various tenants during the twentieth century. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.92563, -81.63905 (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 02000084.
- 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.