Sig's General Store
Also known as: Amber Rose European Delicatessen and Catering Service, Inc.
Why it's listed
Built in 1912 at the corner of Valley Street and Bickmore Avenue in Dayton, this 2½-story frame building began as a general store and family home. Sigmond Ksiezopolski, a Polish immigrant who had opened an earlier store across the street in 1906, built it with living quarters for his wife and six children. It was also a social center for the Polish community of North Dayton, with live music and dancing upstairs on Saturday nights, a basement club room and a long-running pinochle game at the back of the store. The building shows a vernacular Prairie style, with a low hip roof, hip dormers, wide eaves and strong horizontal lines. The store closed in 1988 and was rehabilitated as a delicatessen, with its original wooden floor and tin ceiling retained. An October 1989 fire damaged the rear section, which was rebuilt from surviving fabric and photographs. It is listed for its ethnic heritage and architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is the best remaining example of a general store and ethnic social center from the period of Eastern European immigration into Dayton. It is also an excellent example of a simply styled, family-run neighborhood commercial building. It served as a gathering place for Dayton's Polish and wider Eastern European community.
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 91000974, listed August 12, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1400 Valley St., Dayton |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | August 12, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91000974 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1912-1941 (the form lists 1912-1931, amended to end in 1941 by the Keeper) |
| Architect / builder | Sigmond Ksiezopolski (builder) |
| Architectural style | Prairie (vernacular interpretation); described as a Commercial Bungalow |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Other-Ethnic, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated with historic tax credits after an October 1989 fire damaged the rear second floor and roof, which were reconstructed; reopened as the Amber Rose European Delicatessen and restaurant. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.78192, -84.15837 (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 91000974.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138634704
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.