{"nrhp_refnum":"00000799","name":"Dixon-Globe Opera House-Robinson-Schwenn Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"221 High St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Hamilton","county":"Butler County","state":"OH","lat":39.399457479000034,"lon":-84.56074558499995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2000-07-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Economics","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brick commercial building at 221 High Street in downtown Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio, built in 1866 as the Dixon Opera House, later the Globe Opera House and then the Robinson-Schwenn department store.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is significant under Criterion A for its role in the city's commerce and economics, from its use as Hamilton's first theater to its long life as a department store. It also qualifies under Criterion C as an Italianate building with Romanesque Revival and Renaissance Revival elements, including a distinctive rose window.","narrative":"Built in 1866 at 221 High Street in Hamilton, Ohio, this load-bearing brick building began as the Dixon Opera House, the city's first theater. It was sold in a lottery in 1870 and became known as the Globe Opera House, hosting theater and a roller skating rink while also housing a bank, law offices, a grocery and a saloon. Theater use ended after stricter building codes followed the 1904 Iroquois Theater fire in Chicago. In 1907 the Robinson-Schwenn Company leased the whole building as a dry goods store, and the facade and interior were altered over the following decades. A floor was added within the tall third-story theater space in 1913, and a metal screen hid the front from 1951-52 until 1997. The Italianate design includes a large rose window, round and segmental arched openings, sandstone trim and a brick pediment. It is recognized for its commercial history and its architecture.","period_of_significance":"1866-1948","architect_builder":"Frederick Mueller, Architect (1907 alterations); Joseph Bender & Co., Contractor (1907 alterations)","architectural_style":"Late Victorian: Italianate, Romanesque Revival; Renaissance Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"The Dollar General Store closed in 1992. The metal facade screen was removed in 1997, and reconstruction of original elements has followed. The form lists current uses as restaurant and government office.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:07.413105-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/00000799.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/00000799/843c4670a9-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/00000799/843c4670a9-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 2.0","author":"Warren LeMay","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robinson-Schwenn_Building,_High_Street,_Hamilton,_OH.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Warren LeMay</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 2.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robinson-Schwenn_Building,_High_Street,_Hamilton,_OH.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"16000458","name":"Hamilton Downtown Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/ohio/hamilton-downtown-historic-district-16000458/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71986987","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinson-Schwenn_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1231750"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/butler-county/dixon-globe-opera-house-robinson-schwenn-building-00000799/"}