The Second Empire style Isaac Pollack house was built in 1876, but not at its present location at 208 West Monument Ave across from the Downtown YMCA.
Instead, it was originally located a few blocks away at 319 West Third Street.
Originally, it stood next to an identical mansion which was known as the Solomon Rauh house.
Isaac Pollack and Solomon Rauh were business partners in the liquor and wine trade and they founded Dayton’s first wholesale liquor business, as seen in the following advertisement from 1859.
Several sources state that after the homes were built, Solomon and Pollack flipped a coin to determine who would live in which one.
The Pollack home remained a residence until 1913, the year of the Great Flood which greatly damaged homes and caused an exodus from downtown by many wealthy Dayton residents.
It was purchased by Fenton T. Bott who opened the Bott Dancing School in the former home. It would operate until 1941.
The building was next used by the Board of Elections from the mid-1950s until the mid-1970s.
In 1954, the Dayton Safety Building was constructed on West Third Street and the Rauh home was demolished.
The Pollack house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and in 1979 it was moved to Monument Ave to avoid the same fate.
Although it no longer has its former identical neighbor, it does now stand next to the Hanitch-Hoffman House, which itself was moved from the other side of Monument Ave in 1982.
Former International Peace Museum Converted Back to Residence
In 2005, the International Peace Museum moved into the Pollack Home after leaving its former home at 601 West Riverview Ave. It remained until 2021 when it moved to a larger space on Courthouse Square.
The building was sold and converted back to a single-family residence, in a major renovation project. major modern upgrades alongside a ton of original character.
Much original character remains including including beautiful woodwork, fireplaces, ceiling medallions, and a dramatic curving staircase that’s been restored to its original hardwood finish. The renovation added bathrooms, a kitchen, new custom cabinetry, flooring and custom woodwork finishes to match the original preserved woodwork.
The home was listed for sale in 2025.
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