Walters, Dr. Jefferson A., House
Why it's listed
Completed in 1857 at 35 East First Street in Dayton, this three-story brick townhouse follows the Renaissance revival, or Italianate, style. It rests on a limestone foundation and has plain limestone quoins, a three-bay facade and an ornate center entrance with stone pilasters, a carved entablature with rosettes and a stone head of Andrew Jackson. Window pediments change by floor: segmental on the first, triangular on the second and horizontal on the third. A deep wood cornice with dentils crowns the roof. The house was built for Dr. Jefferson A. Walters, a physician from Pennsylvania who studied at Eclectic Medical College, opened a Dayton drug store in 1841 and later served as president of the Ohio Fire Insurance Company. He is remembered as a loyal friend and spokesman of Clement L. Vallandigham and arranged publication of Vallandigham's speeches in 1864. The house is regarded as one of few remaining early Victorian Italianate townhouses in Dayton.
Significance in brief: The house is associated with Dr. Jefferson A. Walters, physician, druggist and insurance company president, who was a close friend and disciple of Civil War anti-war figure Clement L. Vallandigham. It is also described as a fine example of an early Victorian Italianate townhouse, one of few remaining in Dayton.
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 74001583, listed November 20, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 35 E. 1st St., Dayton |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | November 20, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001583 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century; specific date 1857 |
| Architectural style | Renaissance revival / early Victorian Italianate townhouse |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied; condition marked excellent but altered, with an extensively subdivided and remodeled interior, bricked-up first-floor windows on the main facade, and rear service additions. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Downtown Dayton Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.76263, -84.19126 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 74001583.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5304180
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.