In my book Lost Dayton I chronicle not only sites that have been demolished, but also historic landmarks that are still with us, albeit transformed into something completely different from their original use. But in just about all of those cases, today's historic … [Read more...] about The Swaynie House and Building Substitution
A First Ice-Making Plant and an Alligator in the Great Miami
When the above structure was built in 1892, it was the first ice-making plant "in this section of the country." Located at the corner of Harries and Spratt Streets, the Dayton Ice Manufacturing and Cold Storage Co. was likely the reason that Spratt would soon be renamed Ice … [Read more...] about A First Ice-Making Plant and an Alligator in the Great Miami
The Paul Laurence Dunbar House and Museum
In a previous post, we introduced the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center, one of the sites on the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park. The original home of the family that gave the neighborhood half of its name, the Wrights, is long gone, having been moved to … [Read more...] about The Paul Laurence Dunbar House and Museum
The Graphic Arts Building in Downtown Dayton
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 … [Read more...] about The Graphic Arts Building in Downtown Dayton
The William McHose House at 53 Green St.
A recent post detailed candidates for the oldest house still standing in Dayton. In this new article series, we'll take a closer look at the histories of other interesting Dayton homes. The house at 53 Green Street in the Oregon District was built in 1873 by William … [Read more...] about The William McHose House at 53 Green St.
What’s Going on With: Dayton Arcade Financing, Construction
In previous articles here, here, and here, we've attempted to summarize the progress of the Dayton Arcade redevelopment, the most crucial pending project for the Dayton region. There have been some ups and downs over the last couple of years, mainly ups in terms of funding … [Read more...] about What’s Going on With: Dayton Arcade Financing, Construction
Early Buildings: What’s the Oldest House in Dayton? (Newcom Tavern and More)
What’s the oldest house in Dayton? As with many questions like this, the answer is “it depends.” It turns that out we need to add some qualifications to our question in order to arrive at an answer. The first thing we need to ask is whether the house needs to remain at its … [Read more...] about Early Buildings: What’s the Oldest House in Dayton? (Newcom Tavern and More)
Webster Station’s Industrial Buildings Beyond Delco
Webster Station is a former industrial area that's quickly turning into Dayton's hottest neighborhood with a variety of apartment and condo living options, as well as bars, restaurants, and a soon-to-open hotel. Many old warehouses and other early commercial structures … [Read more...] about Webster Station’s Industrial Buildings Beyond Delco
Dayton’s Carnegie Library Branches
Much has been written about Dayton's beautiful lost library in Cooper Park, as well as the expansive modern downtown library that opened in 2017 and has been a big hit with the community since. But many of the branch libraries in various Dayton neighborhoods have interesting … [Read more...] about Dayton’s Carnegie Library Branches
Two Saved Historic Facades Downtown
In Dayton, as in most other American cities, many once great buildings were reduced to rubble, while in other cases endangered landmarks have been successfully preserved. But there’s also a sort of middle ground between demolition and restoration: cases in which the facade … [Read more...] about Two Saved Historic Facades Downtown