Dilger Store
Also known as: West Rushville General Store
Why it's listed
Standing on the northwest corner of the only crossroad in West Rushville, this two-story frame store with a full basement and slate gable roof dates to about 1867-1873. It served the village as a general store, post office and Odd Fellows Lodge, and was run by the Dilger family from 1882 until 1982. The town sits on Zane's Trace between Lancaster and Zanesville, and the store acted as a main source of dry goods for the town and surrounding farms. It also served as a warehouse in the local tobacco trade, with wagon loads shipped east to Kentucky and Maryland. West Rushville never grew into a major commercial stop, which helps explain why the building survives so intact. Original doors, windows, trim, built-in shelving with drawers, store counters, gas fixtures and the lodge hall stage remain. These features make it a rare, modest and little-altered example of nineteenth-century small-town commercial architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the store represents the early commercial history of a small town on Zane's Trace and the local tobacco trade. It also served as post office and Odd Fellows Lodge, making it a focal point of the town. Its largely unaltered late-19th-century commercial architecture is described as rare.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 85001691, listed August 8, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 7640 Main St., West Rushville |
|---|---|
| County | Fairfield County |
| Listed | August 8, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001691 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Circa 1867-1873 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied, in fair condition, unaltered and on its original site. The form says the building has remained relatively unaltered since construction. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.76356, -82.44751 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 85001691.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.