Monitor House
Encyclopedia
The Monitor House is a historic house in St. Paris
, Ohio
, United States
. Located along West Main Street
, it is a square brick structure resting on a foundation of stone and covered with an asphalt roof. Although the house is primarily one story
tall, it is built around a -story square clerestory
.
The house was constructed circa 1860, although its precise date of erection — as well as the names of its first owner and its designer — is unknown. Its five-bay
, 30 feet (9.1 m)-long exterior is decorated with cornice
s around the window lintels
. Inside, the rooms open onto a central hallway that concludes with a stairway to the second floor of the central part of the house.
In 1974, the Monitor House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
because of its unusual architecture. Only two or three monitor houses, featuring an elevated center, are known to exist in Ohio, and the one in St. Paris is architecturally the most well-preserved; consequently, it is considered historically significant statewide. In contrast, a similar monitor house in Chillicothe
, known as "Tanglewood
," is only considered locally significant. It was the first of over thirty places in Champaign County to be listed on the National Register.
St. Paris, Ohio
St. Paris is a village in Champaign County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,998 at the 2000 census.-History:The area where St. Paris now stands was originally inhabited by Native Americans. The first European settlers arrived in 1797 and the village was founded in 1831 by David Huffman,...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located along West Main Street
U.S. Route 36
U.S. Route 36 is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado to Uhrichsville, Ohio. The highway's western terminus is at Deer Ridge Junction, an intersection in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, where it meets U.S. Route 34. Its eastern...
, it is a square brick structure resting on a foundation of stone and covered with an asphalt roof. Although the house is primarily one story
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
tall, it is built around a -story square clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
.
The house was constructed circa 1860, although its precise date of erection — as well as the names of its first owner and its designer — is unknown. Its five-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
, 30 feet (9.1 m)-long exterior is decorated with cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
s around the window lintels
Post and lintel
Post and lintel, or in contemporary usage Post and beam, is a simple construction method using a lintel, header, or architrave as the horizontal member over a building void supported at its ends by two vertical columns, pillars, or posts...
. Inside, the rooms open onto a central hallway that concludes with a stairway to the second floor of the central part of the house.
In 1974, the Monitor House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
because of its unusual architecture. Only two or three monitor houses, featuring an elevated center, are known to exist in Ohio, and the one in St. Paris is architecturally the most well-preserved; consequently, it is considered historically significant statewide. In contrast, a similar monitor house in Chillicothe
Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The name comes from the Shawnee name Chalahgawtha, meaning "principal town", as it was a major settlement of...
, known as "Tanglewood
Tanglewood (Chillicothe, Ohio)
Tanglewood is a historic house on the western side of Chillicothe, Ohio, United States. Built in 1850, it features a combination of the Greek Revival and Italianate styles of architecture, and it is one of the best preserved examples of the rare "Monitor" style of residential design.A Catholic...
," is only considered locally significant. It was the first of over thirty places in Champaign County to be listed on the National Register.