{"nrhp_refnum":"82001477","name":"Commercial Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"44 S. Ludlow St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Dayton","county":"Montgomery County","state":"OH","lat":39.758177475000025,"lon":-84.19319626899994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-12-02","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Economics","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A ten-story brick and stone commercial skyscraper at 44 South Ludlow Street in downtown Dayton, Ohio, designed in 1908 by Peters, Burns & Pretzinger for Adam Schantz, Jr.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is a significant work of Albert Pretzinger, described as Dayton's foremost native-son architect. It also marks the development of the city core west of Main Street, led by Adam Schantz, Jr. on Ludlow Street. Its Renaissance styling helps preserve the historic character of downtown, especially beside the Dayton Arcade.","narrative":"Rising ten stories at 44 South Ludlow Street in downtown Dayton, the Commercial Building is a tall, narrow skyscraper tucked against the Dayton Arcade. Designed in 1908 by the firm of Peters, Burns & Pretzinger for Adam Schantz, Jr., it follows a three-part Renaissance-inspired composition: a two-story ashlar base, a seven-story brick shaft and an elaborately carved crown with lion masks, festoons and garlands. The entrance surround carries sculpted fruit and a tablet reading \"COMMERCIAL.\" Schantz pushed the redevelopment of Ludlow Street, once little more than a dirt road to the railroad station, and this was one of only five high-rise buildings in Dayton when built. It is also regarded as an important work of Albert Pretzinger, a leading native-born architect. Storefronts and the interior have been lost to renovation, though the upper exterior remains largely intact. Its styling helps retain the historic character of the downtown core near the Arcade.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"Peters, Burns & Pretzinger","architectural_style":"Eclectic Renaissance, three-part composition","criteria":[],"status_note":"Storefronts and interior were destroyed by insensitive renovation; the rest of the exterior is complete as built and in fair condition. A syndicate was being formed to revitalize the building.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:14.870313-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/82001477.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82001477/39a4d5f316-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82001477/39a4d5f316-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Steve Morgan","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Commercial_Building_in_Dayton,_Ohio_(2021).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Steve Morgan</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Commercial_Building_in_Dayton,_Ohio_(2021).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/71990448","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_Building_(Dayton,_Ohio)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5152480"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/montgomery-county/commercial-building-82001477/"}