Port Washington Town Hall
Why it's listed
Port Washington Town Hall is a three-story brick building with a limestone foundation, measuring 34 by 64 feet, with a slate gabled roof. A four-story square tower projects from the centre of the facade and is topped by a frame belfry that still holds the original fire bell. Openings are segmental arches, and the gable has a wooden pediment with scrollwork. Built in 1878-79 for $3,500, it combined village offices, a jail and fire department on the first floor, an opera house on the second, and a lodge hall on the third. A spiral stairway inside the tower connects the floors. The town began in the 1820s as a mill town on the Ohio and Erie Canal, and the hall was built during a speculative period of growth. It was the community's governmental and social centre for over 75 years. It was listed as a largely unaltered 19th century public building and a visual landmark, partly to encourage restoration and reuse.
Significance in brief: The nomination says the building was the governmental and social focus of the small community for over 75 years. It is also described as an excellent, largely unaltered example of a 19th century public building. Its four-story tower dominates the village streetscape.
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 79001971, listed February 22, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Main St., Port Washington |
|---|---|
| County | Tuscarawas County |
| Listed | February 22, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001971 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1878-79 |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the village. The form marks it unoccupied, but the text says the police keep an office there, much of it is used for storage, and a lodge still uses the third floor. Local interest in restoration and adaptive reuse is noted. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.32796, -81.51872 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 79001971.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138753484
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.