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Dayton Vistas

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

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Rare Dayton Photos

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: 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, 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, 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 Homes, House Histories, Old Dayton Maps, Rare Dayton Photos, Sanborn Maps, St. Anne's Hill

The History of 1922 and 1918 Brown Street

August 30, 2022 By Andrew Walsh 1 Comment

brown street pine club

A pair of interesting buildings on Brown Street form part of one of the more intact blocks of neighborhood commercial structures in Dayton, and also help tell the story of the surrounding area. 1922 Brown Street is a two story structure built in 1928. It was originally … [Read more...] about The History of 1922 and 1918 Brown Street

Filed Under: Historical Dayton Tagged With: Bockrath Carpet Shop, Brown Street, 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

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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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Recent Comments

  • William "Rusty" Pietrzak on The Diner on St. Clair: a History and an Uncertain Future
  • Laura J Merrell on Historic Buildings on the University of Dayton Campus
  • Накрутка мобильными on Lost Commercial Buildings at Main and Franklin
  • Andrew Walsh on The Decline of Downtown Retail post-1950: Suburbanization, Urban Renewal, and More

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