Sutton-Ditz House
Also known as: Clarion County Historical Society
Why it's listed
Standing across from Clarion's Public Square, this two-and-one-half-story brick house was built in 1847 for Thomas Sutton Jr., a lawyer who had moved to Clarion from Indiana County. It was first a three-bay Greek Revival home with shutters and cornice returns. In 1908 John A. Ditz, a hardware merchant, bought it and began a major remodeling on April 1, 1909. The work added a full-height pedimented Ionic portico with a Palladian window, modillion cornices, oval windows, and new interior finishes, giving the house its Neo-Classical Revival look. Joseph Eckel is named as the contractor; the architect is unknown. The house later served as a tourist home and passed to the Clarion County Historical Society in 1975, which uses it as a museum. It was listed for its architecture, as a locally distinctive example of a Greek Revival residence remodeled in the early twentieth century that keeps nearly all of its 1910 features.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a locally distinctive example of a Greek Revival house of the mid-nineteenth century that was remodeled in the Neo-Classical Revival style in the early twentieth century. It is described as one of the finest historic homes in Clarion and the county, and it retains virtually all of its 1910 features.
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 04000063, listed February 20, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 18 Grant St., Clarion |
|---|---|
| County | Clarion County |
| Listed | February 20, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000063 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1847-1910 |
| Architect / builder | Eckel, Joseph, builder |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival; Neo-Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently serves as the house museum of the Clarion County Historical Society, which acquired it in 1975. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.21398, -79.38639 (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 04000063.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7650200
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.