Featuring Research By Sue Montesano I've previously written about the commercial district on West Third Street in Wright-Dunbar, and one of the most interesting structures there is the 3-story Enterprise Building built in 1890 and originally home to the Pekin … [Read more...] about History of The Ark Restaurant on West 3rd St
West Dayton
James H McGee Boulevard History: Road Widenings, 35 West, and Neighborhoods
In my last article on the Bowers Building on West Third Street, I mentioned how James H McGee Boulevard was originally created as a widening of what had been Western Ave. As it turns out, that is an interesting story in its own right which I'll dig into today. James H. … [Read more...] about James H McGee Boulevard History: Road Widenings, 35 West, and Neighborhoods
History of the Bowers Building from Bank to Lounge
West Third Street is seeing a surge in new commercial investment in the Wright Dunbar neighborhood near downtown, but there hasn't been as much activity on the blocks west of Broadway. But now at West Third and James H. McGee Boulevard, a husband and wife team is … [Read more...] about History of the Bowers Building from Bank to Lounge
Dayton’s Lost Palace and Classic Theaters (Rare Photos)
In our last article about Wright-Dunbar, we showed the buildings that once housed the Pekin and Midget Theaters on West Third Street. But the premier entertainment district on the West Side of Dayton was found just a few blocks south. The business district on West Fifth … [Read more...] about Dayton’s Lost Palace and Classic Theaters (Rare Photos)
History of West Third Street Buildings in Wright-Dunbar
Our last article looked into the history of the West Third Business District in Wright-Dunbar, including some old maps of the area. Today we'll take it a step further by digging into the stories of many of the individual commercial buildings. 1000 Block The Hoover Block, … [Read more...] about History of West Third Street Buildings in Wright-Dunbar
History of the West Third Street Business District in Wright-Dunbar
Columnist Jon White recently wrote about the potential of the Wright Dunbar Business District, so we thought it would be a good time to take a historical tour through the area and learn a little more about it. This first article will look at a general history of the … [Read more...] about History of the West Third Street Business District in Wright-Dunbar
Wright Dunbar District: Dayton’s Next Great Street?
Can we take a moment to appreciate the hidden-gem that is the Wright-Dunbar Business District? With its mix of Romanesque Revival, Italianate, and Neoclassical Revival architecture, outside of Fifth Street in the Oregon District there is not a better example of an … [Read more...] about Wright Dunbar District: Dayton’s Next Great Street?
The Hoover Block and the Wright Brothers’ Printing Business
The historic West Third Street business district in Wright-Dunbar has a BBQ restaurant and a few small independent retail businesses catering primarily to neighborhood residents. But the best-known attractions in the area are the sites connected to the men who gave the … [Read more...] about The Hoover Block and the Wright Brothers’ Printing Business
The Paul Laurence Dunbar House and Museum
In a previous post, we introduced the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center, one of the sites on the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park. The original home of the family that gave the neighborhood half of its name, the Wrights, is long gone, having been moved to … [Read more...] about The Paul Laurence Dunbar House and Museum
Dayton’s Carnegie Library Branches
Much has been written about Dayton's beautiful lost library in Cooper Park, as well as the expansive modern downtown library that opened in 2017 and has been a big hit with the community since. But many of the branch libraries in various Dayton neighborhoods have interesting … [Read more...] about Dayton’s Carnegie Library Branches