Henderson, Dr. David W., House
Also known as: The Castle
Why it's listed
Dr. David W. Henderson, a respected Marysville physician, had this large brick house built at 318 East Fifth Street in 1884. It has a balloon frame with brick facing, a sandstone foundation, limestone water tables and sills, and arched limestone hood molds over the windows. A wrap-around porch bows out around a two-story bay and carries a "Widows Walk" railing. Inside, the house keeps a bridal staircase of oak, butternut and walnut, arched butternut pocket doors, walnut fireplaces and original brass hardware. The lot had earlier hosted Marysville's first Fourth of July celebration in 1828 and a log cabin rooming house. Later the house served as an Elks lodge, a boarding house and a temporary nursing home, and it was nicknamed "The Castle" in the 1950s. After standing empty from the late 1970s, it was restored starting in 1998. It is considered an intact, high-style Italianate example in Union County, with an unknown architect or builder.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an intact and significant example of Late Victorian Italianate architecture in Marysville and Union County, under Criterion C. It is described as more high-style than the other Italianate brick homes in the area, and as the only home in Marysville with arched limestone hood molds. The builder is unknown.
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 01000391, listed April 19, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 318 E. Fifth St., Marysville |
|---|---|
| County | Union County |
| Listed | April 19, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000391 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1884 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/High Victorian Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant from the late 1970s until purchased in 1998, then restored over about 16 months. Now a private residence with one room open to the public as a museum. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.23641, -83.36359 (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 01000391.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138753828
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.