The National Cash Register Company (NCR) was one of the most influential corporations based in Dayton, shaping the city’s economy, landscape, and national reputation for innovation. From its transformation of James Ritty’s cash register into a global business under John H. Patterson, to the rise of its vast factory campus and its eventual departure from the city, NCR’s story mirrors Dayton’s industrial ascent, decline, and reinvention. This article explores NCR’s history in Dayton and what became of its former land and facilities.
NCR’s physical presence in Dayton once extended across hundreds of acres and employed thousands of workers, making it far more than just another local employer.
The company pioneered modern sales techniques, reimagined factory design with light-filled buildings meant to improve productivity and morale, and promoted employee welfare programs decades before such ideas became common. Beyond its factories, NCR was a powerful civic force, developing neighborhoods, supporting community programs, and even donating hundreds of acres of land for public use.
Although NCR did not invent the cash register, Patterson took the original invention of Dayton saloonkeeper James Ritty and built it into one of the most influential manufacturing firms in the world. In doing so, NCR left an indelible mark on Dayton, economically, architecturally, and culturally.
Much of that physical legacy has since vanished. Nothing built during Patterson’s lifetime survives, and the company’s once-vast campus along South Main Street has largely been erased. In a previous article, we looked at the few surviving National Cash Register buildings in Dayton. This article steps back to tell the larger story: how NCR rose in Dayton, what happened as it declined, and how its former land and facilities are being repurposed in the present day.
NCR didn’t invent the cash register, but Patterson took Dayton saloonkeeper James Ritty’s creation and built it into one of the most influential companies in the world, making a profound impact on Dayton in the process.
From Ritty’s Invention to a Global Company
NCR pioneered the modern sales process to convince shopkeepers everywhere that they needed a cash register. It redesigned its factory buildings in a cutting-edge style with abundant windows to let in natural light and improve both morale and productivity.
The company was initially located downtown before moving to a large tract of land just south of town near Main and Stewart Streets.
Here is an early view of the National Cash Register plant:
The company was expanding rapidly at the beginning of the 20th century, both in terms of its sales and employee numbers as well as the size of its corporate campus.
Among the most recognizable structures on the former NCR campus were the company’s original world headquarters (Building 10) and the NCR Auditorium, both symbols of the firm’s national prominence.
Building 10 was often called the NCR office building, before its new world headquarters would be built on South Patterson Boulevard (today UDRI).
The auditorium in particular served as a major venue for corporate events, lectures, performances, and local graduation ceremonies, reflecting Patterson’s belief that NCR should cultivate both professional and cultural life. It was built in 1912, with several later additions, and was known as the NCR Hall of Industrial Education and the NCR Schoolhouse before being named the NCR Auditorium in 1938.
Outside the company’s walls, Patterson and NCR were a major civic force in Dayton: developing and beautifying neighborhoods near the factory, launching community programs for area youth, and even giving 284 acres of parkland to the City of Dayton and opening it to the public (today Hills and Dales MetroPark).
Patterson’s approach to HR even anticipated today’s employee wellness program long before its time (although some would criticize his efforts as paternalism).
The company reached its peak in terms of employment, with some 20,000 workers, in 1969.
Here is what the bustling company’s complex looked like during its heyday:
The Decline and Departure of NCR from Dayton
But the company began to decline in the 1970s, as electronics began to replace mechanical systems, and thousands upon thousands of manufacturing jobs were lost. Production was moved from Dayton in 1977, which meant that local employment sank to 5,000 (source). The manufacturing buildings also began to be demolished in the late 1970s.
Here is roughly the same view around the time NCR left Dayton for good in 2009:
The company moved its headquarters to the Atlanta suburb of Duluth, Georgia and reduced its workforce in the Miami Valley from 1,300 to less than 100 a year later.
Things certainly looked dire for Dayton at that time, and the impact of the company’s departure was indeed devastating for the Miami Valley.
NCR’s abandonment of Dayton, its home for 125 years, was symbolic of the area’s deindustrialization and its job losses were a major factor in the population decline of the entire city, which shrank from its peak of 260,000 in 1960 to a low of 140,000 decades later.
But since then, much of this vacant land is being returned to productive use, with the University of Dayton spearheading many of the efforts.
University of Dayton and the Reuse of Former NCR Land
Located next door and previously a landlocked campus, it made a lot of sense for the university to acquire former NCR land. UD purchased a 50-acre parcel from NCR for $25 million in 2005, and later bought additional acreage nearby (as well as NCR’s former world headquarters which is now home of the UD Research Institute).
But its past industrial use made the land challenging to rebuild on. Much of that 2005 parcel was considered a brownfield site and “building foundations and debris were buried” on the land, requiring significant environmental mediation.
UD was awarded $13.9 million in state and federal environmental cleanup grants to help with its efforts. Contractors excavated soil from Brown Street to S Patterson Blvd, removing “asphalt, asbestos, volatile organic compounds and other debris.”
Post-cleanup, the university has brought in the $51 million GE Aviation EPISCenter and the $35 million Emerson Helix Innovation Center (see images below).
Construction also is currently in progress on a new $45 million Performing Arts Center at the SE corner of Main and Stewart.
NCR Building 26: Education, Wartime Secrecy, and a Lost Landmark
One of the most historically significant, and controversial, structures on the NCR campus was Building 26, constructed in 1938 along South Patterson Boulevard. The Art Deco–style building was originally built as a night school for NCR employees.
During World War II, it housed the U.S. Navy’s Naval Computing Machine Laboratory, where NCR engineers and Navy personnel — including WAVES — designed and built American versions of the Bombe, an electromechanical device used to help crack Germany’s Enigma code. The building’s original classroom layout, with its numerous rooms, high ceilings, and wide hallways, proved well suited to the compartmentalized and highly guarded nature of the work. Its relative isolation from NCR’s main factory buildings also made it easier to secure.
Despite its significance, Building 26 became the subject of a long-running preservation debate after NCR’s departure from Dayton. The structure was ultimately demolished in 2008, after the property had been acquired by the University of Dayton,
Old River Park and NCR’s Civic Legacy
Also worth mentioning in the discussion of former NCR properties is Old River Park, a 226-acre park built by the company in 1937 which it closed in 1998. It was subsequently operated by Dayton History before being purchased by the University of Dayton.
According to a 2019 Flyer News article, “it received minimal upkeep and repair … on-site restroom facilities are derelict, and underground water lines have decayed in several places.”
The article also stated that “the property isn’t among the university’s strategic goals and priorities” although long-term conversations about how it may be used have been happening.
The Old River page on UD’s website currently states that “Old River Park is not available for reservation, usage, or programming during the 2022-23 academic year with few long standing and pre-approved exceptions. Any new requests will be denied. But it does encourage visitors to “please check in regarding future use in July 2023.”
A Timeline of NCR in Dayton
A History of NCR in Dayton: Chronological Timeline
- 1879: Dayton saloonkeeper James Ritty patents the “Ritty’s Incorruptible Cashier,” the world’s first mechanical cash register.
- 1884: John H. Patterson and his brother Frank acquire the National Manufacturing Company and rename it the National Cash Register Company (NCR).
- 1888: NCR moves production from downtown Dayton to a dedicated factory site on the “Patterson Farm” (South Main Street).
- 1890s–1910s: NCR grows into a global powerhouse. Patterson pioneers “industrial welfare” (employee gyms, parks, and medical care) and the first corporate sales training school (1893).
- 1969: NCR reaches its employment zenith in Dayton, with approximately 20,000 workers on the local payroll.
- 1976: NCR completes its new world headquarters at 1700 South Patterson Blvd.
- 1978: Large-scale demolition begins on the historic South Main Street campus, including the razing of the original NCR office building and world headquarters (Building 10).
- 1980: The NCR Auditorium (the “Schoolhouse”), a centerpiece of Dayton civic life for 67 years, is demolished in February 1980.
- 1993: NCR eliminates its final 125 manufacturing jobs in Dayton, officially ending over a century of large-scale production in the city.
- 2005: The University of Dayton (UD) makes its first major purchase of former NCR land, acquiring 50 acres for campus expansion.
- 2008: Despite preservation efforts, the historic Building 26 is demolished by the University of Dayton to facilitate site redevelopment.
- 2009: NCR announces it is moving its corporate headquarters to Atlanta, Georgia, ending its 125-year tenure as a Dayton-based company. UD purchases the remaining 115-acre headquarters site and Old River Park.
NCR’s Lasting Impact on Dayton
Overall, although NCR is long gone from Dayton, it’s encouraging to see so much activity happening on its former land.
The former NCR campus is now a core part of the University of Dayton, with the former HQ building serving as the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI).
And with more projects in progress, plus the potential redevelopment of the former Montgomery County Fairgrounds nearby, the area may be even more vibrant in a few years’ time.
Frequently Asked Questions About NCR in Dayton
Q: What was NCR and why was it important to Dayton?
NCR was one of Dayton’s most influential companies, pioneering modern manufacturing, sales techniques, and corporate welfare programs while employing thousands and shaping the city’s growth.
Q: Did NCR invent the cash register?
No. The cash register was invented by Dayton saloonkeeper James Ritty, but NCR transformed it into a global industry under John H. Patterson. Read more about Ritty’s invention.
Q: What happened to NCR in Dayton?
After decades of decline and restructuring, NCR gradually reduced its Dayton presence and ultimately moved its headquarters to Atlanta in 2009.
Q: What occupies former NCR land today?
Much of NCR’s former land is now owned by the University of Dayton and has been redeveloped for research, education, and innovation uses.
Q: Are any NCR buildings still standing?
A small number of later NCR-era buildings remain and have been repurposed. None, however, date to the time of founder John H. Patterson.
From a 90 year old who worked in a bank and used NCR equipment.