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

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Urban Renewal

Urban Renewal and Lost Buildings at Main and 3rd

May 8, 2025 By Andrew Walsh Leave a Comment

historic view of east side of main street, downtown dayton

Recently I wrote about the lost East Second Street historic district (today the Premier Health Tower). For today's post we'll shift south one block to see how the entire east side of Main and the north side of Third have also been lost to demolition over the years, not at … [Read more...] about Urban Renewal and Lost Buildings at Main and 3rd

Filed Under: Historical Dayton Tagged With: Callahan Building, Fire Blocks District, I. M. Pei, Paru Tower, Urban Planning, Urban Renewal, Walkability

The Deneau Tower: History and Redevelopment

April 4, 2025 By Andrew Walsh Leave a Comment

deneau tower views

The Deneau Tower is a major fixture in Dayton's skyline and also holds a special significance in the story of downtown's progress during the suburban exodus of the mid-20th century. It was built in 1969, and because of its era the building has not been admired in quite … [Read more...] about The Deneau Tower: History and Redevelopment

Filed Under: New Developments Tagged With: Architecture, Downtown, Grant-Deneau Tower, Modernism, Paul Deneau, Urban Renewal, Windsor Companies

The Decline of Downtown Retail post-1950: Suburbanization, Urban Renewal, and More

February 3, 2025 By Andrew Walsh 2 Comments

Recently I reflected on the golden age of retail in downtown Dayton, tracing the history of Rike's, Elder-Beerman, and other popular downtown department and specialty stores. Today the environment is much different, with many local businesses struggling to survive and only a … [Read more...] about The Decline of Downtown Retail post-1950: Suburbanization, Urban Renewal, and More

Filed Under: Historical Dayton Tagged With: Architecture, Arthur Beerman, Cesar Pelli, Cincinnati, Dayton Mall, Downtown, Elder-Beerman, J.C. Penney, Kettering, Retail, Rike's, Salem Mall, Suburbs, Urban Planning, Urban Renewal

Then and Now: Urban Renewal at 3rd St and Wilkinson

October 5, 2023 By Andrew Walsh 1 Comment

In my book Lost Dayton Ohio I talk about the once-luxurious Robert Boulevard near the Great Miami River on the western edge of downtown. The surrounding area was largely residential, with West Third Street serving as a major thoroughfare with businesses and even some … [Read more...] about Then and Now: Urban Renewal at 3rd St and Wilkinson

Filed Under: Historical Dayton Tagged With: Aerial, Downtown, Robert Boulevard, Then and Now, Urban Renewal

Did Urban Renewal Work in Dayton? A Status Report from 1969

March 10, 2021 By Andrew Walsh 3 Comments

haymarket map urban renewal

With the benefit of over a half century of hindsight, we now consider the large-scale urban renewal projects of the 1950s and 1960s as huge mistakes which hastened the decline of our cities instead of improving them. By razing human-scale, walkable neighborhoods for … [Read more...] about Did Urban Renewal Work in Dayton? A Status Report from 1969

Filed Under: Historical Dayton Tagged With: Haymarket, Urban Renewal

The History and Razing of the Haymarket (The Actual Market)

February 18, 2021 By Andrew Walsh 1 Comment

haymarket dayton

In many of my presentations (and my book Lost Dayton Ohio), I tell the story of the lost Haymarket neighborhood, which was located in between the Oregon District and St. Anne's Hill, and how it met its end. This article will also chronicle the end of the hay market, … [Read more...] about The History and Razing of the Haymarket (The Actual Market)

Filed Under: Historical Dayton Tagged With: Haymarket, Horses, Markets, Old Dayton Maps, Sanborn Maps, Urban Renewal

Then and Now: Downtown Homes Long Demolished at 4th and Perry

February 4, 2021 By Andrew Walsh 4 Comments

old fourth and perry dayton

I've written some about the western side of downtown Dayton, which before urban renewal was largely residential and contained some of the most beautiful homes in the city. The street that featured the largest concentration of "luxury" housing was Robert Boulevard, which … [Read more...] about Then and Now: Downtown Homes Long Demolished at 4th and Perry

Filed Under: Historical Dayton Tagged With: Downtown, Harry Conover, Robert Boulevard, Sinclair College, Then and Now, Thomas Parrott, Urban Renewal

History of Old and New Brown Street, Split Up by a Freeway

January 25, 2021 By Andrew Walsh 7 Comments

old brown street and warren street

Out of all of Dayton's main urban streets, Brown Street has perhaps the most interesting history. Many other prominent city streets remain the way they were originally laid out, while others (or large parts of them) were wiped off the map completely during urban renewal … [Read more...] about History of Old and New Brown Street, Split Up by a Freeway

Filed Under: Historical Dayton Tagged With: Old Dayton Maps, Street Histories, University of Dayton, Urban Renewal

Sinclair Helps Bring Back Lost Park Feel in Former Robert Boulevard Area

June 2, 2020 By Andrew Walsh 3 Comments

dayton robert boulevard

The main campus of Sinclair Community College was built on a section of downtown that was completely demolished during urban renewal in the 1960s. The area was largely residential and contained some of the most beautiful residences in the city, with the largest concentration … [Read more...] about Sinclair Helps Bring Back Lost Park Feel in Former Robert Boulevard Area

Filed Under: New Developments Tagged With: Great Flood of 1913, Parks, Robert Boulevard, Sinclair College, Urban Renewal

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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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Latest Posts

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Browse Historic Dayton

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