It's a good time for hotels in downtown Dayton, with the new Fairfield Inn and Suites now open in the Water Street district and the Crowne Plaza benefiting from its new neighbor the Levitt Pavilion. A few proposed developments have even featured a boutique hotel as part of … [Read more...] about The Hotel at 3rd and Ludlow: What’s That Called Again?
Downtown Dayton’s YMCA Buildings: History and What’s Left
Today you can go for a workout at the downtown Dayton YMCA, a building which has stood since 1929. But this was far from the first place in Dayton that the YMCA called home, as it previously occupied four other locations, some of which still survive today while others have … [Read more...] about Downtown Dayton’s YMCA Buildings: History and What’s Left
Downtown Dayton’s Terra Cotta District: History and Redevelopment
Many hope that the development momentum in some parts of downtown Dayton will keep spreading west of Main to the area around 4th, 5th and Ludlow Streets. A small cluster of buildings there is actually on the National Register as the Terra Cotta Historic District, and … [Read more...] about Downtown Dayton’s Terra Cotta District: History and Redevelopment
The Swaynie House and Building Substitution
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 McHose … [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)