Some of Dayton’s buildings on the National Register of Historic Places are well-known to its residents: the Arcade, the Old Courthouse, and the like. But others are a bit more under the radar.
Most people likely don’t give much thought to this building sitting alone on South Ludlow St across from the Third Perk coffee shop (update: Third Perk has relocated and the Grist Provisions restaurant is now open at the location.)
But the five-story structure, known as the Graphic Arts Building, features notable architecture and has historic connections to Dayton’s publishing industry.
This was enough to get the building added to the National Register in 2009.
The Graphic Arts Building was built in 1924 and designed by the local architectural firm of Schenck and Williams whose other projects included the Liberty Tower, Hawthorn Hill, and the Engineers Club of Dayton.
The structure has a concrete foundation, an asphalt roof, walls made from a composite of brick, concrete and glass, and details made of marble and limestone.
The heavy use of concrete was “the result of structural demands; it was used in order to support the weight of the company’s printing machinery and materials storage as well as to render the five-story building fireproof.”
The sides of the building mostly lack windows, but the front has five large windows on every floor in order to allow for an abundance of sunlight.
The Graphic Arts Building was associated with the Ohio Christian Book Association publishing house, which was founded all the way back in 1843.
It published the Herald of Gospel Liberty, which has been said to be the world’s oldest religious newspaper.
In 1868, the publishing house purchased a building in downtown Dayton, but they were not happy with it and instead opted to rent space.
A new headquarters was built in 1905 which the publisher occupied until the construction of the present Ludlow St. building twenty years later.
The company, however, only stayed in the building for eleven years before moving again. The structure has also been referred to as Drury Press in the following years.
The building has been vacant for several years. In 2016, it was bought by the Ellway Group, the entity that planned to turn the Fire Blocks buildings on East Third St into an entertainment district.
At that point, the developers intended to turn the Graphic Arts Building into housing that would appeal to Sinclair Community College students.
But those plans fizzled out and a new developer took over the Fire Blocks restoration. It’s unclear if they also acquired the Graphic Arts Building or if they have any plans to do so in the future.
update: the Graphic Arts Building is under construction as of late 2020
Is the building in the picture the former Drury Printing Company? If so I was Assistant Art Director there right after I was discharged from the US Army in 1968.
Hi Richard, Yes, from the sources I’ve seen this building was indeed the home of the Drury Printing Company during those years.