Greenville Commercial Historic District
Also known as: Downtown Greenville
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Why it's listed
Greenville's downtown commercial district lies east of the Shenango River and is built largely of brick after fires in January 1871 and January 1873 destroyed much of Main Street. Most of its 48 contributing buildings are two-story masonry blocks, and about half are Italianate in style, with bracketed cornices, corbelled window hoods and elongated windows. The Packard Commercial Building at 179-181 Main Street is the strongest Italianate example, while the Masonic Block shows Queen Anne and Gothic Revival influences. The 1938 Post Office, built as a Public Works Administration project, is Neo-classical Revival, and the N. N. Moss Building was remodeled around 1950 in the Art Deco style. Its significance rests on its commercial role, tied to nearby railroad shops, and on its concentration of 1870s masonry architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is significant for its commercial role in the community's economic life, tied to railroad shops and related industry, and as a local example of mid-to-late 19th century commercial architecture, especially Italianate buildings rebuilt after the 1871 and 1873 fires, with later 20th century examples included.
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 00000964, listed August 10, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Centered on Main, Canal and Clinton Sts., Greenville |
|---|---|
| County | Mercer County |
| Listed | August 10, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000964 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1857-ca. 1950 |
| Architect / builder | Foulk, Samuel H.; Owsley, C.H. |
| Architectural style | Italianate; Late Victorian; Neo-classical Revival; Art Deco; Mission style and Prairie style elements in the Bessemer Railroad Station |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 9.4 |
| Coordinates | 41.40718, -80.38873 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 00000964.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5604674
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.