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

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Rare Dayton Photos

History of Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School in Dayton (Notre Dame Academy)

February 20, 2026 By Andrew Walsh Leave a Comment

notre dame academy chaminade high school

Today's Chaminade-Julienne Catholic High School is a longtime downtown anchor. It has existed in its current form since 1973, but the school has roots that can be traced back to previous institutions that were established long before. The story begins at the historic … [Read more...] about History of Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School in Dayton (Notre Dame Academy)

Filed Under: Historical Dayton Tagged With: Catholicism, Chaminade High School, Chaminade-Julienne, Churches, Colleges, Emmanuel Church, Julienne High School, Rare Dayton Photos, Schools

The History and Architecture of 1922 and 1918 Brown Street

December 5, 2025 By Andrew Walsh 6 Comments

1922 brown street commercial architecture

A pair of interesting buildings on Brown Street forms part of one of the more intact blocks of neighborhood commercial structures in Dayton, and also help tell the story of the surrounding area. Recently these buildings were sold, and online posts have advertised the … [Read more...] about The History and Architecture of 1922 and 1918 Brown Street

Filed Under: New Developments Tagged With: Bockrath Carpet Shop, Brown Street, Commercial Buildings, Drug Stores, Federation Realty Company, Gallagher Drug Store, Grocery Stores, Kroger, Old Dayton Maps, Pine Club, Rare Dayton Photos, Restaurants, Retail, Rubicon Farm, Sanborn Maps, South Park Market, University of Dayton, University Park

The Young Building, From Bowling Alley to Longtime Downtown Grocery

June 25, 2025 By Andrew Walsh 2 Comments

young building dayton

Today it's not one of the 9 interconnected buildings in the Dayton Arcade redevelopment, but the 3-story structure immediately to the west of the Third Street Building has an interesting history of its own as well as a long association with the complex. And today it also … [Read more...] about The Young Building, From Bowling Alley to Longtime Downtown Grocery

Filed Under: Historical Dayton Tagged With: Abe Schear, Bowling, Carl Schmidt, Commercial Buildings, Crawford, Crawford McGregor & Canby Co, Dayton Arcade, Downtown Dayton, Drug Stores, Grocery Stores, Howard Faust, Joe Abboud, Lee Schear, Liberal Markets, MacGregor Golf, McShane's Grill, Rare Dayton Photos, Schear's, Stop N Save, Third Street Presbyterian Church, Tony Abboud, Unions

The Federation Block and Redevelopment on Xenia Ave

February 17, 2025 By Andrew Walsh 2 Comments

federation block building xenia ave

A recent article describes a current project to "renovate and restore" the Twin Towers neighborhood, focusing on the 500 block of Xenia Ave which CityWide Development has identified as the "best location for economic development along the corridor." New Hope Project, Inc. … [Read more...] about The Federation Block and Redevelopment on Xenia Ave

Filed Under: New Developments Tagged With: Commercial Buildings, East End Community Services, Federation Block, Federation Realty Company, Federation Theater, New Hope Church, Rare Dayton Photos, Santa Clara, Theaters, Twin Towers, Xenia Avenue

Bommy’s Bar, Dayton’s First Apartments, and Riverview Park

January 24, 2025 By Andrew Walsh 1 Comment

bommy's bar, salem ave and riverview

The image above depicts a popular saloon known as "Bommy's Place" that once stood off of Salem Ave just across the Great Miami River in Dayton View. It was owned by Fred Bomhard who opened it in 1896. The establishment was known as "one of the best-known and most popular … [Read more...] about Bommy’s Bar, Dayton’s First Apartments, and Riverview Park

Filed Under: Historical Dayton Tagged With: Apartment Buildings, Bars, Bommy's Place, Dayton View, Five Rivers Metroparks, Fred Bomhard, Old Dayton Maps, Parks, Rare Dayton Photos, Restaurants, Riverside Park, Sanborn Maps

History of Talbott Tower (Talbott Building)

December 15, 2024 By Andrew Walsh 2 Comments

talbott tower downtown dayton

Dayton's tallest buildings were built in the 1970s and 80s, but the stories of the earlier "modern" office towers in the late 50s and 60s, when the city was steadily growing but also beginning to decentralize significantly, are interesting as well. The history of the … [Read more...] about History of Talbott Tower (Talbott Building)

Filed Under: Historical Dayton Tagged With: Art Deco, Downtown Dayton, Harold Talbott, High-Rises, Keybank Tower, Mead, Modernism, Rare Dayton Photos

The Todd Art (Sigma) Theater and a Lost Brown Street Business District

April 15, 2024 By Andrew Walsh 3 Comments

The old firehouse currently home to Jimmy's Ladder 11 restaurant on Brown Street is a beautiful but isolated survivor of what was once a thriving neighborhood business district. One of its most significant neighbors was an old theater located at 924 Brown Street. Built … [Read more...] about The Todd Art (Sigma) Theater and a Lost Brown Street Business District

Filed Under: Historical Dayton Tagged With: Brown Street, Commercial Buildings, Demolition, Jimmy's Ladder 11, Miami Valley Hospital, Old Dayton Maps, Rare Dayton Photos, Retail, Sanborn Maps, Sigma Theater, South Park, Theaters, Todd Art Theater

The Dietz Block, One of Dayton’s Great Corner Buildings

March 5, 2024 By Andrew Walsh 2 Comments

One of Dayton's best corner commercial buildings can be found at 531 Wayne Ave, the corner of Wayne and Jones. The structure was built in 1886 for John C. Dietz, who ran a drug store and apothecary on the ground floor with apartments above. It is a "prime example of … [Read more...] about The Dietz Block, One of Dayton’s Great Corner Buildings

Filed Under: Historical Dayton Tagged With: Corner Stores, Crafted & Cured, John Dietz, McHose and Lyon, Oregon District, Rare Dayton Photos, Wayne Avenue

The Steamboat House in St. Anne’s Hill (Rare Photo)

December 21, 2023 By Andrew Walsh Leave a Comment

Today's article came about rather serendipitously, as I was researching something unrelated only to come across a striking image of a home for sale in the Dayton Daily News on April 21, 1918. After only a quick glance it was obvious which house it was, as it is one of the … [Read more...] about The Steamboat House in St. Anne’s Hill (Rare Photo)

Filed Under: Historical Dayton Tagged With: Albert McClure, Alice Woodward, East Dayton, Great Flood of 1913, Historic House Histories, Old Dayton Maps, Rare Dayton Photos, Sanborn Maps, St. Anne's Hill

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History of Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School in Dayton (Notre Dame Academy)

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