The National Register of Historic Places Oberlin Listings

Within and around Oberlin are a number of properties that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Some are individually designated while others are part of a thematic multiple property designation or are within the Downtown Oberlin National Register Historic District. Three are both National Register sites and National Historic Landmarks. Some of these are also City of Oberlin Landmarks. Still others may be eligible for designation but have not yet been nominated. Most National Register designated sites have been inventoried as part of the City-Wide Historic Site Inventory, which can provide a starting point for additional research about building histories. Copies of inventory forms and National Register nominations are available in the Oberlin Heritage Center Resource Center. The Resource Center also has some historic photographs and other research on many of the buildings and always welcomes additional information.

Map of National Register of Historic Places properties in Oberlin

Individual Buildings

Individual buildings listed on the National Register in Oberlin include the following (by order of street address and with historic name):

• 207 E. College Street, John Mercer Langston House (also a National Historic Landmark)
• 317 E. College Street, Burrell-King House
• 39 S. Main Street, Union School/Westervelt Hall (now New Union Center for the Arts)
• 106 N. Main (at Lorain), Congregational Church of Christ (1st Church)
• 156 S. Main Street, Christ Episcopal Church
• 240 S. Main Street/Depot Park, Oberlin Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Station
• 291 S. Main Street, Oberlin Gas Lighting Co. Gasholder House
• 73 S. Professor Street, Frank Jewett House
• 33 E. Vine Street, Wilson Bruce Evans House (also a National Historic Landmark)
• (address restricted), Reamer Barn

Multiple Properties

There are two multiple property designations within Oberlin, the Downtown Oberlin Historic District and the Oberlin College Historic Resources thematic nomination:

The Downtown Oberlin National Register Historic District was designated in 2003 and includes a number of buildings on the south side of East and West College Street between College Place and S. Pleasant Street, as well as a number of buildings on both sides of S. Main/Route 58 between College and Vine Streets. The district includes 38 buildings of which 33 are rated contributing and 5 are rated non-contributing due to alterations or due to having been built outside the period of significance of the district. There are three cases within the district where what appears to be one building was actually constructed in two parts with a unified façade. These are as follows (street address, building #): 5-13 W. College Street (#5, 6), 19-21 W. College Street (#8, 9), and 5-13 S. Main Street (#15, 16). The following is a street address listing of buildings within the downtown district:

Carpenter Court

College Street

Main Street

The Oberlin College Historic Resources Thematic Nomination was listed in 1978 and includes 30 buildings that have been historically associated with the 19th and early 20th century history of Oberlin College. Some were built by the college; others were built as private homes. Please note that this listing is in addition to a separate Oberlin College National Historic Landmark listing which consists of Tappan Square and which was designated in 1966.  At the time the thematic nomination was submitted a number of the college buildings did not have official street addresses. Included in the thematic nomination are (listed roughly by current street address, with historic names indicated):

• Mallory House, 58 E. College Street (now Shansi)
• Hall House, 64 E. College Street
• Tank Hall, 110 E. College Street
• College President’s House, 154 Forest Street
• First Church, 106 N. Main (at Lorain; also individually designated)
• Carnegie Library, 52 W. Lorain Street
• Severance Laboratory, 120 W. Lorain at N. Professor Street
• Wilder Hall, 135 W. Lorain Street
• William Bailey House, 145 W. Lorain Street (now “Daub House”)
• Bosworth Hall/Asia House (Theological Seminary), 40-50 W. Lorain Street
• Monument to Co-education, N. Main Street (near Art Museum)
• Keep Cottage, 154 N. Main Street
• Giles W. Shurtleff House, 46 Morgan Street (at S. Professor Street)
• Rice-King Building, 10 N. Professor at W. College Street
• Warner Center, 30 N. Professor St. (off W. College Street)
• Memorial Arch at Tappan Square, N. Professor St
• Peters Hall, 50 N. Professor Street
• Cox Administration Building, 70 N. Professor Street
• Finney Memorial Chapel, 90 N. Professor Street
• Orville and Wilbur Wright Laboratory of Physics, 110 N. Professor Street
• Talcott Hall, 2 S. Professor Street
• Baldwin College, 30 S. Professor Street
• Monroe-Bosworth House, 78 S. Professor Street
• Allencroft House, 134 S. Professor Street
• Thurston House, 136 S. Professor Street – (Demolished circa 1980)
• Old Barrows House, 207 S. Professor Street
• Johnson House Barn, 216 S. Professor Street
• Johnson House, 216 S. Professor Street
• Dascomb House, 227 S. Professor Street

For additional information visit the National Register of Historic Places website.

Additional information about the National Register process in Ohio is available from the Ohio Historic Preservation Office at the Ohio Historical Society.