Fire Blocks Historic District
Why it's listed
Fire Blocks Historic District covers a group of mostly three- to six-story brick and concrete buildings in downtown Dayton, Ohio, one block east of Main Street. They were built to house small retail shops and light industry, and most went up after the 1913 flood and fire destroyed the area. The dominant look is the plain, functional Commercial style, but the district also includes the Georgian Revival Elks Building by architect Albert Pretzinger, the Kimmel Building by Robert Dexter, the city's only Gothic Commercial building in glazed terra cotta, a Gothic Revival church, and a few surviving Italianate buildings from the 1860s and 1870s. An early reinforced concrete building, the Beaver Power Building, dates from 1910. Developer Adam Schantz Jr. helped reshape the downtown skyline by building here. The district was recognized for its role in Dayton's industry, its architecture, and the story of the city's rebuilding, with a period of significance of 1865 to 1926. Twenty-three buildings contribute to its character.
Significance in brief: The district is significant under Criteria A, B and C for industry, architecture and social history. Most of its buildings were rebuilt after the 1913 flood and fire that destroyed this part of downtown, and they show the utilitarian Commercial style along with Classical, Gothic Commercial and Italianate examples. Developer Adam Schantz Jr. figured prominently in the rebuilding.
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 92001374, listed October 15, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Jefferson, Fourth, St. Clair and Second Sts., Dayton |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | October 15, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001374 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1865-1926 |
| Architect / builder | Schantz, Adam Jr.; Pretzinger, Albert; Dexter, Robert E. |
| Architectural style | Commercial style; Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Several buildings have altered storefronts, and some were rehabilitated in the 1980s. The Elks Building was rehabilitated in 1986. |
| Acreage | 5.8 |
| Within district | Downtown Dayton Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.75843, -84.18878 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 92001374.
- 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.