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
What’s Going on With? St. Anne the Tart
Update: St. Anne the Tart opened on 3/1/19, and has been earning great early reviews. This reporter is going to conduct some first-hand investigation tomorrow. In our What’s Going On With series, we dig into a particular Dayton project that's been in the works for a while … [Read more...] about What’s Going on With? St. Anne the Tart
Historically Accurate Infill House in St. Anne’s Hill
At a time when so many once great homes throughout Dayton are being turned into vacant lots, it's inspiring to see an example of the opposite happening. While perusing the archives of the St. Anne’s Hill blog recently, I came across an interesting story about a house at 155 … [Read more...] about Historically Accurate Infill House in St. Anne’s Hill
History of the Centre City (United Brethren) Building
The Dayton Arcade has attracted the most attention among potential downtown projects lately, but a building whose rehab would have a more visible effect on Dayton's skyline is found just across Main Street. I'm talking about the Centre City Building, which has a fascinating … [Read more...] about History of the Centre City (United Brethren) Building
James Ritty’s Pony House Saloon
We recently looked at James Ritty’s invention of the cash register, before John Patterson took the enterprise to greater heights with NCR. But Ritty also has another interesting story that connects to a present-day business. His original occupation was a saloonkeeper and … [Read more...] about James Ritty’s Pony House Saloon
Dayton Motor Car Company District: Good and Bad News
One of the sites in Lost Dayton, Ohio, the Dayton Motor Car Company Historic District, has been in the news a couple of times recently, for very different reasons. The good news is that a property in the area, 15 McDonough St (right), was recently awarded $1.8 million … [Read more...] about Dayton Motor Car Company District: Good and Bad News
Then and Now: Aerial of Third and Jefferson, Fire Blocks
With the Fire Blocks development undergoing some major changes and hopefully starting real construction soon, let's travel back in time and take a look at the area from a high vantage point. Some buildings will look familiar, but others are long gone. The Beckel Hotel … [Read more...] about Then and Now: Aerial of Third and Jefferson, Fire Blocks
What’s Going On With? Dayton Arcade Redevelopment
The Dayton Arcade project continues to receive good news, but some Daytonians will remain skeptical until the day they set foot in a fully-completed phase one. To be fair, this isn't an unreasonable position to take given the complex's failed redevelopment history over … [Read more...] about What’s Going On With? Dayton Arcade Redevelopment
James Ritty and the Invention of the Cash Register
A little over a century ago, Dayton, Ohio was the U.S. city with the most patents per capita. Known as "the City of a Thousand Factories," Dayton churned out a staggering variety of products but also was a center for innovation. And the cash register was a critical … [Read more...] about James Ritty and the Invention of the Cash Register
Downtown Dayton Restaurants: 2007 vs. 2018
Downtown Dayton is enjoying a major resurgence, and just about everyone is in agreement that there's much more to do today than in decades. But it's an interesting experiment to compare the actual number of amenities at two points in time. Thanks to an article from 2007 … [Read more...] about Downtown Dayton Restaurants: 2007 vs. 2018