Langston, John Mercer, House
About this property
The John Mercer Langston House is a historic house at 207 East College Avenue in Oberlin, Ohio. Built in 1855, it was home to John Mercer Langston (1829-1897), attorney, abolitionist, diplomat, US Congressman and college president, who was one of the first African Americans elected to public office in the United States. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975. The John Mercer Langston House is located on Oberlin's east side, on the south side of East College Avenue opposite the Eastwood School. It is a two-story frame structure, with a side gable roof and clapboarded exterior. The house is not particularly architecturally distinguished, although historic photos show it having a Gothic Revival porch, and its current entrance surround includes some Gothic elements. The current porch is a 20th-century alteration, with a hip roof and metalwork supports. The house was built in 1855, and was from 1856 until 1867 the home of John Mercer Langston. The son of a slave woman and her white owner, Langston was raised in Ohio, attending Oberlin College and then reading law because no law school then accepted African Americans. In 1855, Langston won election to the position of town clerk in Brownhelm Township, the first known electoral victory of its kind by an African American in the United States. He later served as a recruiter of African Americans for military service in the American Civil War, and helped found the Howard University Law School, where he was its first dean. National Register of Historic Places listings in Lorain County, Ohio Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. OH-2226, "John Mercer Langston House, 207 East College Street, Oberlin, Lorain County, OH", 2 photos, 4 data pages, 1 photo caption page
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Langston, John Mercer, House listed on the National Register?
Langston, John Mercer, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 14, 1975.
What type of historic resource is Langston, John Mercer, House?
Langston, John Mercer, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Langston, John Mercer, House a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Langston, John Mercer, House has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for Langston, John Mercer, House?
The period of significance for Langston, John Mercer, House is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Langston, John Mercer, House?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Langston, John Mercer, House will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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