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A Look at the Past, Present, and Future of the Gem City

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Historic Preservation in Dayton, Ohio

Dayton has lost a staggering portion of its historic built environment through a variety of circumstances from large-scale urban renewal to "demolition by neglect."

Nevertheless, a number of exciting adaptive reuse and restoration projects in recent years, from historic homes to the massive Dayton Arcade, are helping to revive many previously vacant and endangered properties.

To see all of the articles we've published that relate to the preservation of historic Dayton buildings, click the links below.

Renovation Will Add Commercial Space to Historic Salem and Grand

March 13, 2023 By Andrew Walsh 3 Comments

The Salem Ave Corridor has seen some activity in recent years, with the Gem City Market opening in 2021 and the upcoming redevelopment of the Longfellow School site. Now a new $14 million project will upgrade housing at Salem and Grand Avenues and also reestablish 6,300 … [Read more...] about Renovation Will Add Commercial Space to Historic Salem and Grand

Filed Under: New Developments Tagged With: Drug Stores, Gem City Market, Longfellow School, Miller-Valentine, Preservation, Retail, Salem Ave, Salem Ave Peace Corridor, St. Mary Development Corp

Major Development Could Revive Historic Downtown “Power House”

December 20, 2022 By Andrew Walsh 2 Comments

Photos for this article were taken by Alex Parks, professional photographer/videographer and drone pilot. See more of Alex's work at parkspromedia.com. According to recent reports and funding requests, Infinity Labs, a "fast-growing defense contractor" is planning a … [Read more...] about Major Development Could Revive Historic Downtown “Power House”

Filed Under: New Developments Tagged With: Davis Sewing Machine Co, Dayton Power and Light, Downtown, Electricity, Preservation, RTA, Transportation

Redevelopment of Longfellow School Site Makes Progress

December 12, 2022 By Andrew Walsh 2 Comments

Salem Ave is an important Dayton thoroughfare that declined over the latter decades of the 20th century due to suburban flight and disinvestment in the surrounding neighborhoods. Recently, however, there has been better news. The Gem City Market has been open since 2021 and … [Read more...] about Redevelopment of Longfellow School Site Makes Progress

Filed Under: New Developments Tagged With: CareSource, Dayton Motor Car Company, Gem City Market, Longfellow School, Preservation, Salem Ave, Salem Ave Peace Corridor, Schools, Weyland Ventures

New Fund Can Boost Historic Business Districts

November 14, 2022 By Andrew Walsh Leave a Comment

In late September, the City of Dayton announced a new program to help activate vacant and underutilized commercial spaces impacted by the pandemic. The First Floor Fund, administered by CityWide Development, aims to provide low-interest and forgivable loans to small … [Read more...] about New Fund Can Boost Historic Business Districts

Filed Under: New Developments Tagged With: City of Dayton, CityWide Development, Preservation, Salem Ave, Santa Clara, Twin Towers, Walkability, Wright-Dunbar, Xenia Avenue

Dayton Looking for Developers for Gem City Ice Cream Property

February 8, 2022 By Andrew Walsh 1 Comment

gem city ice cream building

With the new Third Street Bridge once again connecting downtown to innerwest Dayton, several projects are underway on West Third in Wright Dunbar, most notably a food hall. But one historic property associated with the Wright Brothers is still languishing in limbo with … [Read more...] about Dayton Looking for Developers for Gem City Ice Cream Property

Filed Under: New Developments Tagged With: City of Dayton, Demolition, Demolition Watch, Gem City Ice Cream Building, Preservation, Preservation Dayton, Wright-Dunbar

Gem City Ice Cream Building at Risk of Demolition

September 23, 2021 By Andrew Walsh 1 Comment

gem city ice cream building

A historic building in the Wright-Dunbar neighborhood is at risk of demolition after the City of Dayton asked the Landmarks Commission for permission to remove it. The Gem City Ice Cream Building, constructed in the late 1800s, has been listed on the National Register of … [Read more...] about Gem City Ice Cream Building at Risk of Demolition

Filed Under: Historical Dayton Tagged With: Preservation, Preservation Dayton, Wright Brothers, Wright-Dunbar

Proposed Brown Street Development Would Raze Historic Church

June 15, 2021 By Andrew Walsh 5 Comments

south park united methodist church

Update: In July 2021 the project partners announced they would preserve the old church and incorporate it into the new medical building (as reported by the Dayton Daily News). The new rendering is below. Original Article: The University of Dayton played a major role in … [Read more...] about Proposed Brown Street Development Would Raze Historic Church

Filed Under: New Developments Tagged With: Brown Street, Features, NCR, Premier Health, Preservation, Preservation Dayton, University of Dayton

Old Dayton Daily News Building: History, Preservation and Development

June 10, 2021 By Andrew Walsh 3 Comments

old dayton daily news building

The Dayton Arcade has successfully reopened after a massive redevelopment effort, but right across the street another historic landmark may be in jeopardy. The old Dayton Daily News building dates back to 1910 and was designed by prominent architect Albert Pretzinger. … [Read more...] about Old Dayton Daily News Building: History, Preservation and Development

Filed Under: New Developments Tagged With: Albert Pretzinger, Dayton Arcade, Dayton Daily News, James Cox, Preservation, Preservation Dayton, Valentine Winters

Selecting Dayton’s Most Endangered Buildings

March 29, 2021 By Andrew Walsh Leave a Comment

Preservation Dayton, a longstanding organization which already has a track record of success for local historic preservation, is stepping up its efforts with a new initiative, the Endangered Properties Fund. Each year, a committee selects a list of the city's ten most … [Read more...] about Selecting Dayton’s Most Endangered Buildings

Filed Under: Historical Dayton Tagged With: Banking, Features, Jacob D. Moskowitz, Leslie Smith, Preservation, Riverdale, Riverdale Theater, Santa Clara, Suburbs

The Santa Clara Business District: History and Preservation

December 16, 2019 By Andrew Walsh 5 Comments

santa clara dayton

We recently wrote about two architectural gems on North Main Street in Riverdale. Continuing north a few blocks we find an impressively intact group of commercial buildings: the Santa Clara Business District. Historically this was a thriving area for shopping and … [Read more...] about The Santa Clara Business District: History and Preservation

Filed Under: Historical Dayton Tagged With: Dale Fashions, Dale Theater, Demolition, Gallagher's Drug Store, Marlyn Jewelers, Omega Music, Preservation, Riverdale Theater, Santa Clara, Upper Krust

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My book explores a diverse selection of retail, industrial, entertainment and residential sites from Dayton's disappearing legacy.
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About Dayton Vistas

I'm Andrew Walsh, a writer and academic librarian. I research Dayton history, architecture, preservation, and urban redevelopment.

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