{"nrhp_refnum":"82001354","name":"Renz Block","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"320 N. Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Lima","county":"Allen County","state":"OH","lat":40.74332517800008,"lon":-84.10480943799996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-10-07","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story commercial building at 320 North Main Street in Lima, Allen County, Ohio, dated to about 1900 and designed by Charles W. Dawson. It was built as a bakery and stands across from the Allen County Courthouse.","why_significant":"The inventory form cites the building's ornate facade, including what it calls the most elaborately decorative parapet in the city. It is also tied to Jacob Renz's bakery, which became the oldest and largest bakery in Allen County. A reviewer noted the building is architecturally distinctive.","narrative":"Located at 320 North Main Street in Lima, Ohio, directly across from the Allen County Courthouse, this three-story brick and stone commercial building dates to about 1900 and was designed by Charles W. Dawson in a Late Victorian style. It was built as a bakery. Jacob Renz founded the business in 1887 in the Duffield Block on North Main Street, then bought the store at this address in 1903 and erected a large plant where wholesale and retail trade kept growing. By the time the firm ended in 1958 and was sold to Morgan Pennington, it was the oldest and largest bakery in Allen County. The building is noted for its ornate facade. A decorated parapet carries the name RENZ BLOCK in a decorated pediment, and the upper-story windows are double-sash with arched transoms. The parapet is described as the most elaborately decorative in the city. The lower storey has been remodeled, though the building remains in good condition.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Charles W. Dawson (architect)","architectural_style":"Late Victorian","criteria":[],"status_note":"Interior and exterior described as good; the lower storey has been remodeled. Present uses listed are laundry, Community Action Commission offices and apartments.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:15.116931-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/82001354.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82001354/e2daa4dbc0-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82001354/e2daa4dbc0-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Renz_Block_site_in_Lima.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Renz_Block_site_in_Lima.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71984429","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renz_Block","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7313617"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/allen-county/renz-block-82001354/"}