Demand-Gest House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Demand-Gest House
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Front of the house
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 37 N. Main St., Mechanicsburg, Ohio |
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| Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1900 |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| MPS | Mechanicsburg MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 85001881 |
| Added to NRHP | August 29, 1985 |
The Demand-Gest House is an old house with a lot of history in Mechanicsburg, Ohio. It was built for a doctor and later became home to important business leaders. Today, it is known as a historic site because of its special past.
Contents
Who Lived in the Demand-Gest House?
Dr. Charles E. Demand, the First Owner
The Demand-Gest House was built in 1900 for Dr. Charles E. Demand. He was a successful doctor in Mechanicsburg. Dr. Demand was also one of the first members of the local Masonic lodge and the Order of the Eastern Star.
Besides being a doctor, he was also a businessman. In the 1910s, he was the president of the village's Mutual Loan and Savings Company. Dr. Demand was one of several wealthy doctors who built beautiful homes on North Main Street around that time. His friends, Dr. John H. Clark and Dr. Oram A. Nincehelser, also lived in nice houses nearby.
Neil Gest, a Longtime Resident
After Dr. Demand moved out, the house became home to Neil Gest. Mr. Gest was a farmer and a leader at the Ohio Grain Company in Mechanicsburg for many years. He lived in the Demand-Gest House for a long time.
What Does the Demand-Gest House Look Like?
Colonial Revival Style Architecture
The Demand-Gest House is made of wood and sits on a stone base. It was built in the Colonial Revival style. This style often looks like old American colonial homes.
Special Design Features
The front of the house is balanced and looks the same on both sides. It has a special Palladian window, which is a large window with three parts. There is also a porch with tall, fancy Ionic columns.
You can enter the house through a doorway on the porch. This doorway has a transom, which is a window above the door. Above the porch, a part of the second floor sticks out. Inside the house, there's a unique oval-shaped window near the stairs.
The Colonial Revival style makes the Demand-Gest House stand out. Many other old houses in Mechanicsburg are built in the Queen Anne or Italianate styles, which look different.
Why is the Demand-Gest House Important?
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The Demand-Gest House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. This is an official list of buildings, sites, and objects that are important in American history. The house was chosen because of its special architecture and its role in Ohio's history.
Part of a Larger Historic Group
The Demand-Gest House was one of about twenty places in Mechanicsburg listed on the National Register at the same time. This was part of a "multiple property submission," meaning many important places were recognized together. Some of the nearby homes also listed include the houses of Dr. Demand's friends: the John H. Clark House and the Oram Nincehelser House.
