Vacant general store in Ohio

Dilger Store - West Rushville General Store, West Rushville Ohio

Date added: January 26, 2023 Categories: Ohio Retail

West Rushville links two hubs of Zane's Trace, Lancaster to the southwest and Zanesville to the northeast. A late-nineteenth-century county history referred to the early town as a prosperous community owing its success to both the travel and the tobacco trade.

Although unexpected, Fairfield County experienced some success in its tobacco farming. In 1881, the county yielded 1604 pounds of tobacco from 8 acres. West Rushville served as a link in this tobacco trade. After storage, wagon loads of this tobacco were shipped east to Kentucky and Maryland. The general store served as a warehouse, and the odor of the tobacco is still present in the attic.

Besides its use in the tobacco trade, the store provided the main source of dry goods to the town and. the surrounding farms. Two dry goods stores were listed in the county history. This general store was known as the Dilger store, remaining in this same family from 1882 until 1982.

The Dilger store also served as the post office and Odd Fellows Lodge. These various uses contributed to the store's establishment as a major focal point of the town.

West Rushville did not develop commercially as a major link on Zane's Trace. it has remained a small country town.

Especially noteworthy Is the virtually unaltered late-19th-century commercial architecture. While the shed-like porch Is of indeterminate age, all elements are intact on the storefront, including doors, hardware, and display windows. The interior merchandise area also retains what appears to be 19th-century (if not original) shelving. Woodwork and doors also remain In place on the 1^st and 2^nd-floor interior and items like original gas fixtures and the stage area of the lodge hall are still present. In total the building represents a truly rare example of a modest but unaltered 19th-century commercial architecture.

Building Description

The store is located on the northwest corner of the only crossroad in the Village of West Rushville.

It is a two-story frame building with a full basement. The dimensions are 27' x 64'. The gable roof is covered by slate shingles.

The front facade is primarily divided into three bays. The second story has three windows. The posts supporting the shed roof of the porch divide this area into three, although there are four facade openings; two windows and two doors. The second-story sashed windows are segmental arched, four over four lights. A wooden course marks the edge of the porch roof. The first story is obscured by the porch roof. Semicircular fan lights cap the doorways. This shape is repeated by the windows. The cornice is a series of large and small brackets.

The side facades are an irregular configuration. The second story on each side has five shuttered windows. On the second story, the shuttered windows are placed randomly.

The building has remained relatively unaltered since its construction. The exterior trim, doors and windows are original, as well as the interior's built-in shelving with drawers, two of the store counters, and the ceiling gas fixtures.

The downstairs is comprised of one large store area with a rear storage room. An oak stairway leads to the second floor which consists of a large Lodge area, storage room, and waiting area.