The old firehouse currently home to Jimmy's Ladder 11 restaurant on Brown Street is a beautiful but isolated survivor of what was once a thriving neighborhood business district. One of its most significant neighbors was an old theater located at 924 Brown Street. Built … [Read more...] about The Todd Art (Sigma) Theater and a Lost Brown Street Business District
The Diner on St. Clair: a History and an Uncertain Future
Downtown Dayton is in the midst of a renaissance, and it's easy to become passionate about the redevelopment of architectural gems like the Arcade or sites with major historical significance like the Delco buildings near the ballpark. But sometimes it's the smaller, more … [Read more...] about The Diner on St. Clair: a History and an Uncertain Future
How Did the Great Flood Affect Dayton Businesses?
The Great Flood of 1913 was devastating for Dayton, as floodwaters as high as 20 feet engulfed huge areas of the city. The damage to homes, businesses, factories, and infrastructure was over $100 million in 1913 money (roughly $3 billion today). But among the wreckage there … [Read more...] about How Did the Great Flood Affect Dayton Businesses?
The Dietz Block, One of Dayton’s Great Corner Buildings
One of Dayton's best corner commercial buildings can be found at 531 Wayne Ave, the corner of Wayne and Jones. The structure was built in 1886 for John C. Dietz, who ran a drug store and apothecary on the ground floor with apartments above. It is a "prime example of … [Read more...] about The Dietz Block, One of Dayton’s Great Corner Buildings
Congress Lanes, a Relic of Dayton Bowling History, Is Razed
A former bowling alley on Troy Street in Old North Dayton was recently demolished. Congress Lanes, built in 1946, was a small, old-school neighborhood alley. It was built out to the street instead of set back in a sea of parking lots like most of the larger, modern alleys … [Read more...] about Congress Lanes, a Relic of Dayton Bowling History, Is Razed
The History of Dayton’s Old Post Office Buildings
Dayton's Old Post Office is a beautiful building that still stands downtown, although it hasn't served as a post office since the urban renewal era. We can thank a dedicated preservation effort in the 1970s for why it is still here instead of having been turned into … [Read more...] about The History of Dayton’s Old Post Office Buildings
History of the Kuhns Building and the Office Mail Chute, a Dayton Invention?
The Kuhn's Building is one of Dayton's most beautiful 19th century structures downtown. It predated the Dayton Arcade by about two decades, but today it is connected to the complex and considered a part of it. The building is notable not just for its architecture … [Read more...] about History of the Kuhns Building and the Office Mail Chute, a Dayton Invention?
K-12 Tejas Gallery Aims to Rehab Historic Carriage House
According to a Dayton Regional Priority Development and Advocacy Committee (PDAC) funding request, the K-12 Tejas Gallery is looking to purchase and rehab a building adjacent to its current home. A Dayton Business Journal article stated that the group "looks to purchase … [Read more...] about K-12 Tejas Gallery Aims to Rehab Historic Carriage House
James H McGee Boulevard History: Road Widenings, 35 West, and Neighborhoods
In my last article on the Bowers Building on West Third Street, I mentioned how James H McGee Boulevard was originally created as a widening of what had been Western Ave. As it turns out, that is an interesting story in its own right which I'll dig into today. James H. … [Read more...] about James H McGee Boulevard History: Road Widenings, 35 West, and Neighborhoods
History of the Bowers Building from Bank to Lounge
West Third Street is seeing a surge in new commercial investment in the Wright Dunbar neighborhood near downtown, but there hasn't been as much activity on the blocks west of Broadway. But now at West Third and James H. McGee Boulevard, a husband and wife team is … [Read more...] about History of the Bowers Building from Bank to Lounge