# John Mercer Langston House - Wikipedia #Omnivore [Read on Omnivore](https://omnivore.app/me/john-mercer-langston-house-wikipedia-18ff62f2363) [Read Original](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mercer_Langston_House) ## Highlights > <mark class="omni omni-green">* **[^](#cite%5Fref-nhlsum%5F2-0 "Jump up")** ["John Mercer Langston House"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080119060721/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1560&ResourceType=Building). _National Historic Landmark summary listing_. National Park Service. Archived from [the original](http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1560&ResourceType=Building) on January 19, 2008.</mark> ><mark class="omni omni-green"> * ^ [Jump up to: _**a**_](#cite%5Fref-nhlnom%5F3-0) [_**b**_](#cite%5Fref-nhlnom%5F3-1) ["National Historic Landmark nomination for John Mercer Langston House"](https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NHLS/75001464%5Ftext). National Park Service.</mark> [⤴️](https://omnivore.app/me/john-mercer-langston-house-wikipedia-18ff62f2363#f2df3184-f381-4e70-a747-74900017a601) ^f2df3184 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The **John Mercer Langston House** is a historic house at 207 East College Avenue in [Oberlin, Ohio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberlin,%5FOhio "Oberlin, Ohio"). Built in 1855, it was home to [John Mercer Langston](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John%5FMercer%5FLangston "John Mercer Langston") (1829-1897), attorney, [abolitionist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abolitionism%5Fin%5Fthe%5FUnited%5FStates "Abolitionism in the United States"), diplomat, [US Congressman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US%5FCongressman "US Congressman") and college president, who was one of the first [African Americans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African%5FAmericans "African Americans") elected to public office in the United States. It was designated a [National Historic Landmark](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National%5FHistoric%5FLandmark "National Historic Landmark") in 1975. ## Description and history 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](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John%5FMercer%5FLangston "John Mercer Langston"). The son of a slave woman and her white owner, Langston was raised in Ohio, attending [Oberlin College](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberlin%5FCollege "Oberlin College") and then [reading law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading%5Flaw "Reading law") because no law school then accepted African Americans. In 1855, Langston won election to the position of [town clerk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Town%5Fclerk "Town clerk") in [Brownhelm Township](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownhelm%5FTownship,%5FOhio "Brownhelm Township, Ohio"), 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](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American%5FCivil%5FWar "American Civil War"), and helped found the [Howard University Law School](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard%5FUniversity%5FLaw%5FSchool "Howard University Law School"), where he was its first dean. ## See also * [List of National Historic Landmarks in Ohio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List%5Fof%5FNational%5FHistoric%5FLandmarks%5Fin%5FOhio "List of National Historic Landmarks in Ohio") * [National Register of Historic Places listings in Lorain County, Ohio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National%5FRegister%5Fof%5FHistoric%5FPlaces%5Flistings%5Fin%5FLorain%5FCounty,%5FOhio "National Register of Historic Places listings in Lorain County, Ohio") ## References 1. ^ [Jump up to: _**a**_](#cite%5Fref-nris%5F1-0) [_**b**_](#cite%5Fref-nris%5F1-1) ["National Register Information System"](https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP). _[National Register of Historic Places](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National%5FRegister%5Fof%5FHistoric%5FPlaces "National Register of Historic Places")_. [National Park Service](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National%5FPark%5FService "National Park Service"). April 15, 2008. 2. **==[^](#cite%5Fref-nhlsum%5F2-0 "Jump up")==** ==["John Mercer Langston House"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080119060721/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1560&ResourceType=Building)====.== _==National Historic Landmark summary listing==_==. National Park Service. Archived from== ==[the original](http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1560&ResourceType=Building)== ==on January 19, 2008.== 3. ==^== [Jump up to: _**a**_](#cite%5Fref-nhlnom%5F3-0) [_**b**_](#cite%5Fref-nhlnom%5F3-1) ==["National Historic Landmark nomination for John Mercer Langston House"](https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NHLS/75001464%5Ftext)====. National Park Service.== ## External links * [Historic American Buildings Survey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritage%5FDocumentation%5FPrograms#Historic%5FAmerican%5FBuildings%5FSurvey "Heritage Documentation Programs") (HABS) No. OH-2226, "[John Mercer Langston House, 207 East College Street, Oberlin, Lorain County, OH](https://loc.gov/pictures/item/oh0372/)", 2 photos, 4 data pages, 1 photo caption page