{"nrhp_refnum":"83002011","name":"First Lutheran Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"138 W. 1st St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Dayton","county":"Montgomery County","state":"OH","lat":39.76157492400006,"lon":-84.19585959099999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-03-29","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Late Gothic Revival church at 138 West First Street, on the southwest corner of West First and Wilkinson streets in Dayton, Ohio, built in 1907 of buff Bainbridge stone to a design by Peters, Burns, and Pretzinger.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is an exemplary Late Gothic Revival structure, notable for its rusticated stone, pointed arches, massing and decorative details. It is the only Gothic-style church among the five remaining in downtown Dayton and has stayed unaltered inside and out. It is also the home of Dayton's oldest Lutheran congregation, which was active in the city's social and artistic life.","narrative":"First Lutheran Church sits on the southwest corner of West First and Wilkinson streets in downtown Dayton. Completed in 1907, it is built of buff Bainbridge stone veined in red, blue and brown, with a 100-foot tower and tall Gothic windows of opalescent glass set between stone buttresses. Details include Gorham stained glass, hoodmolds, a stone Celtic cross on the gable, and carved figureheads of Martin Luther and Philipp Melancthon. Inside, dark carved beams and painted ceiling panels contrast with cream plaster walls. The Dayton firm Peters, Burns, and Pretzinger designed the building. It was listed for its architecture: it is the only Gothic-style church among the five remaining in the downtown area, and it has been unaltered since construction. It is the fourth home of Dayton's oldest Lutheran congregation, which helped found the city's YMCA and YWCA and Deaconess Hospital, and which hosts local choruses and orchestra auditions.","period_of_significance":"1900- (specific date c. 1907)","architect_builder":"Peters, Burns, and Pretzinger","architectural_style":"Late Gothic Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied and in religious use; condition listed as excellent and unaltered, with a meticulously kept original interior.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:14.738401-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/83002011.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83002011/631783e5ee-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83002011/631783e5ee-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"Photo by Greg Hume (Greg5030)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FirstLutheranDayton.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Photo by Greg Hume (Greg5030)</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FirstLutheranDayton.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/71990408","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Lutheran_Church_(Dayton,_Ohio)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5453234"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/montgomery-county/first-lutheran-church-83002011/"}