{"nrhp_refnum":"09000911","name":"Graphic Arts Building","other_names":["Christian Publishing Association Building"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"221-223 S. Ludlow St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Dayton","county":"Montgomery County","state":"OH","lat":39.755869688000075,"lon":-84.19312659599996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2009-11-12","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Communications","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A five-story brick-faced reinforced concrete commercial building with a full basement at 221-223 South Ludlow Street in downtown Dayton, Ohio, begun in 1925 and originally the Christian Publishing Association Building.","why_significant":"The nomination presents the building as an example of early twentieth century Commercial Style design from about 1925, showing the shift from late 19th century light industrial forms to a more modern sensibility. It is also tied to Dayton's publishing and printing history in the early twentieth century. It was listed under Criteria A and C in the areas of Commerce, Communications and Architecture.","narrative":"Rising five stories on the corner of Court and South Ludlow Streets in downtown Dayton, this reinforced concrete building is faced in red wire-cut brick and trimmed with limestone. Construction began in 1925, and it was designed by architects Harry I. Schenck and Harry J. Williams for the Christian Publishing Association. Inside, flat concrete slabs rest on mushroom-shaped columns, and the floors once held printing, publishing, storage and offices. The east facade shows brick piers that suggest pilasters, a dentilled limestone band and a pedimented parapet. Alterations are described as minor, mainly a plaster cover over the original first floor storefront and glass block replacing fifth floor windows. The building was recognized for its Commercial Style design and for its link to Dayton's publishing and printing industry, which included firms such as McCall's and Standard Register. The period of significance runs from 1924 to 1936. The building is currently vacant.","period_of_significance":"1924 - 1936","architect_builder":"Harry I. Schenck & Harry J. Williams, Architects","architectural_style":"Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements - Commercial","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"The building is currently vacant. Interior partitions have been removed, and the first floor storefront is concealed behind plaster. The structure is described as sound and dry.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:06.961598-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/09000911.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/09000911/a90a6b762b-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/09000911/a90a6b762b-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Graphic_Arts_Building_in_Dayton.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Graphic_Arts_Building_in_Dayton.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"100004316","name":"Downtown Dayton Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/ohio/downtown-dayton-historic-district-100004316/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71990484","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_Arts_Building_(Dayton,_Ohio)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5597125"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/montgomery-county/graphic-arts-building-09000911/"}