Grant, O.B., House
Why it's listed
Built around 1870 in Ridgway Township, just northwest of the borough of Ridgway, this two-story wood-frame house has clapboard walls, a stone foundation, and an intersecting gable roof. It was the home of Oscar B. Grant, who established a tannery across the street in 1869 with his uncle Charles Horton. The tannery, which treated tree bark and could tan two hundred hides a day, was for a time the largest employer in Ridgway and gave rise to a small community known as Grant's Tannery. Grant lived in the house for much of his working life and died there in the 1920s. Its Italianate character is shown by paired brackets under the eaves, tall segmental-arched windows, and matching single-story bay windows on the east and west sides. Around 1890 Grant added a one-story office wing and a wraparound veranda, both attributed to the Hyde-Murphy Company, a Ridgway millwork producer and builder. Interior woodwork, mantels and a built-in sideboard survive. The house is regarded as a locally distinctive example of modest Italianate domestic design.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a locally distinctive example of modest Italianate domestic design, with a side-passage, double-pile plan and bracketed eaves and bay windows. It is also associated with Grant's leadership of the local tanning industry, which was central to the local economy, and with the work of the Hyde-Murphy Company, a millwork producer and builder whose interior and porch work appears in the house.
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 04000268, listed April 5, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 610 W. Main St., Ridgway Township |
|---|---|
| County | Elk County |
| Listed | April 5, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000268 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1870-1920 |
| Architect / builder | Hyde-Murphy Company (builder of the c. 1890 remodeling and office addition); builder of the original house is not known |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The property was underutilized and vacant for many years before acquisition by the present owner; rehabilitation had not begun at the time of nomination, and the owner intends to gift it for use as a headquarters building. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.42146, -78.74891 (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 04000268.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7072047
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.