McLain-Gillmer House
Also known as: Gillmer House; Trumbull Art Guild
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built beginning in 1854 on Mahoning Avenue in Warren, Ohio, this wood frame house is a vigorous example of the Victorian Italian Villa style. It has a shallow hip roof with a central belvedere, a modillioned cornice, tall windows with acanthus-leaf lintels, and a porch with a second-story balcony and fluted Corinthian columns. Inside, the central stair, marble fireplaces, and hardwood floors are mostly original. Its first owner, Thomas Jefferson McLain, was a Warren attorney who later served as mayor, postmaster, banker, and newspaper editor. Elmer Woods Gillmer bought it in 1894. A founder of the Peerless Electric Company, he was a pioneer in electric lighting, and the house received Warren's first indoor bathroom, plate glass window, and interior electric lighting. After 1947 it housed local organizations before becoming the Trumbull Art Guild in 1969. It remains one of the few virtually intact houses on Millionaire's Row.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a landmark of considerable local significance for its vigorous interpretation of the Italian Villa style and its ties to Warren's leading civic and financial figures. Its owners included attorney and banker Thomas Jefferson McLain and electric lighting pioneer Elmer Woods Gillmer. It also introduced several local domestic firsts and remains largely intact on Mahoning Avenue (Millionaire's Row).
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 78002200, listed June 15, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 720 Mahoning Ave., NW., Warren |
|---|---|
| County | Trumbull County |
| Listed | June 15, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002200 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1854 |
| Architectural style | Victorian Italian Villa |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History, Invention |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Housed several Warren organizations after 1947 and has been the Trumbull Art Guild since 1969; condition listed as good, with only minor alterations for gallery use. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 41.24175, -80.82462 (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 78002200.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138752656
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.