End of the Odd?

From the Dayton Daily News...

Two miles to the east is the former Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge at 8 La Belle St. in St. Anne’s Hill – a building that holds its own individual spot on the National Register.

The lodge, a 3½ story brick structure built in 1911, has also been declared a nuisance because of a damaged roof, unsound floors and stairs, and years of water damage, according to city of Dayton documents. The city’s Landmark Commission will discuss demolition plans at 4:30 p.m. Thursday [Feb 9, 2012].

The Odd Fellows Lodge, designed by former Dayton City Commissioner Luther Peters, has been “mostly vacant” for almost 30 years, according to city documents.

Please attend the meeting and let your voice be heard!

Photo by Nicole K.

Robert's Rules

At our monthly meetings in St. Anne's Hill, we try to follow a loose version of Robert's Rules.   These rules help groups to stay on track and discuss issues in a reasonable way.   Here's a little background on Mr. Robert....

Henry Martyn Robert was an engineering officer in the regular Army. Without warning he was asked to preside over a public meeting being held in a church in his community and realized that he did not know how. He tried anyway and his embarrassment was supreme. To bring order out of chaos he decided to write Robert's Rules of Order as it came to be called.

He believed these basic rules, which still hold true today....

Abide by the will of the majority
Listen to the minority.
Consider one thing at a time.
Give everyone a chance to talk.

However, most people don't realize there is a Dayton connection to Mr. Roberts...

Born in Robertville, S.C., Henry M. Robert and James Robert were sons of the Rev. Joseph T. Robert, a Baptist minister.  Mr. Robert did not approve of slavery and before the Civil War became inevitable he had moved his family to Dayton where he accepted a college teaching post.

James Robert followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming a tutor at the elegant girls’ school, Vassar.   Henry M. Robert entered West Point at the age of 16, destined to become a general in the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers.

James Robert returned to Dayton at the request of local educators and wealthy parents, to head the Cooper Female Seminary, which was located on W. First St., on the present site of Westminster Presbyterian Church and the Board of Education building. 

A plan by E. R. Stillwell to broaden the levee from Monument Ave. to First St. interested him, but he believed that more valuable real estate would be created by dredging the river basin and filling the land to the pasture that then served as a gypsy camp ground.  The plan for his development had the plat extending from First St. to Fourth St. and from the Third St. bridge to the Dayton View bridge.

 

Robert sought technical advice from his brother, Henry, then a colonel in the engineers, who agreed to help.  The two brothers became so taken with the project that Henry was to make frequent trips to Dayton as the various phases were completed.

On one such trip, he met the accomplished Helen Thresher, daughter of early settler Ebenezer Thresher, owner of the Thresher Paint Co.  The young couple’s romance culminated in a Christmas Eve wedding in 1860.  Thus, Henry M. Robert married into a Dayton family and Dayton history. 

Thanks to DaytonHistoryBooks.com, we now know that it is quite possible the famous Mr. Roberts spent some time here in St. Anne's Hill.    Please join us for our next monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at 7 pm in the Liederkranz building, and see his rules in action.

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Spring Social

It's time for the annual Spring Brunch in St. Anne's!  From the social committee...

The brunch is scheduled for Sunday, May 22. It will be held on Fourth St. ( corner of Fourth and Henry).  Mimosas will be served at 10:30 and brunch will begin at 11:00. There is no cost for this social, just bring a dish to share with your neighbors. This is a great opportunity to catch up with your neighbors and see whats been going on in the hill. 

Flyers will be delivered this week. I hope to see everyone there.

New neighbors and prospective homebuyers are welcome to join us and learn more about our community.


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High Street Gallery

Here are some upcoming events at the High Street Gallery... be sure to check out their new website!

Oct 3-17

Annual Juried DSPS Members Fall Show- coordinated by DSPS board members Joy Oxley and Elizabeth Martin


Oct 12

DSPS Member Meeting (2nd Tues) - 7 pm at 48 High Street Gallery in St. Anne's Hill. Regular members' meeting with presentation by Joanne Von Sossan.

Nov 7 -14 

Tri-Art group Fall Show - contact person is DSPS member Phyllis Yarema.

Membership is available for only $40 a year.   Please feel free to stop by and support our thriving arts community in St. Anne's Hill.


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German Club

Some upcoming events from our neighbors at the Liederkranz-Turner German Club!

U P C O M I N G  E V E N T S 
28 August—Genealogy Group Meeting,1:30 p.m.
12 September—Dancers’ Picnic
15 September—GermanFest Picnic Wrap-Up Meeting, 7 p.m.
25 September—Genealogy Group Meeting
September—Tailgate Party, TBD
9 October—Oktoberfest
23 October—Genealogy Group Meeting
23 October—Fall Concert
6 November—Schlachtfest Dinner
20 November—Genealogy Group Meeting

Bomberger

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Let's start the new year with a look back. Most residents of St. Anne's Hill travel past Bomberger Park every day, but how many know it's history?

First, who was this Bomberger? According to DaytonHistoryBooks.com, there were at least two notable Bombergers...

William Bomberger was born in Philadelphia, April 7, 1779. His parents were Quakers, and in that faith he was reared and lived until his death. When eighteen years of age he was shot by the accidental discharge of his gun while hunting, and from the effects of the wound was always a delicate man, although he lived to be seventy-seven years of age.

He came to Dayton about 1806 or 1807. He was a quiet, peaceable citizen, upright, honest, and conscientious in all things. He held the office of treasurer of Montgomery County for fourteen years. He brought some means with him and bought a good deal of property in the eastern and southeastern part of Dayton, to which he retired in 1842 and spent the remainder of his life, which ended December 19,1855.

In 1810 he married Sarah George, daughter of William George, and had three children: [one of whom was] George Wilson [Bomberger], who died, while Mayor of Dayton, June 6, 1848, in the thirty-sixth year of his age;

Today's Dayton Daily News offered a profile of our new Mayor (who will take office on Monday), and a look back at our past Mayors over the years, including Mayor Bomberger.


Now, let's see how the park has evolved over the years. Here's a Sanborn Insurance Company map from 1913, which is a great resource available from DaytonMetroLibrary.org:



It may have looked something like this:




Here is what the park looks like today, thanks to Google Maps...



... or as seen during one of our many tours!



Eagle Street and some of the surrounding homes were lost to urban renewal, but the result was a larger, more accessible park just seconds away from Route 35. So it is easy to see how times have changed and the park has grown over the years.

For more information about our community, stop by our meeting this Tuesday at 7 pm in the Liederkranz building on High Street. Happy New Year!

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Town Hall Meeting

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From a City of Dayton press release:

Vacant to Vibrant: Town Hall Explores Urban Beautification

Dayton residents and businesses are invited to participate in a public discussion focused on conversion of vacant lots and properties into useful and attractive community assets.

The “Vacant to Vibrant” event is the first of several upcoming Dayton Beautiful Town Hall meetings and is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, at the Dayton Convention Center (22 E. Fifth St.).

Session topics include maintenance and landscaping alternatives, homeowner land acquisition opportunities, and visioning new green spaces for neighborhoods. Admission is free, and passes for Transportation Center parking will be provided.

Future Dayton Beautiful Town Hall topics include “A Pedestrian- and Bicycle-Friendly Dayton” and “The Future of Historic Preservation.”

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New House?

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This week, the City of Dayton Landmark Commission reviewed a very special case. The owner of the vacant lot at 155 High Street is proposing to rebuild his childhood home, which reportedly burned down in the late 1970's. The Landmark Commission is responsible for reviewing any major structural changes to properties located in Dayton's registered historic districts, such as St. Anne's Hill.

The plans call for a 2-story brick home with a metal roof. The plans presented to the Landmark Commission appeared to be a faithful reproduction of the original home, based on historical photographs and the owner's personal recollections. Interestingly, the owner noted that Josie Street was originally an alley before Route 35 was built.













The Landmarks Commission made several minor but important suggestions to help recreate the original character of the home, such as the size, shape, or materials of the windows, doors, and eaves. Overall, they were very supportive of the plans, as is the Board of Directors for the St. Anne's Hill Historic Society.


The next step will be for the owner to revise his plans according to these suggestions, and then submit them for building code and zoning code reviews. There may be some issues with setbacks, fire codes, and lot lines but it appears the plan was generally acceptable to the City's Planning Department.

According to informed sources, this is the first new home proposed for St. Anne's Hill in many, many years. Since it will be an accurate recreation of the original structure, it should be a great addition to the neighborhood.

Stay tuned to this blog for more news about this exciting development!

New Billboard?

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Also from the Dayton Daily News:

City wants feedback on giant billboard for commuters

Monday, January 26, 2009

DAYTON — City officials want to know what residents think of a proposed mega, electronic billboard along U.S. 35 that would include a gateway feature welcoming commuters to the city.

"We need to make sure people know about this, before it surprises them one morning on the way to work," City Planner Tony Kroeger said.

Dayton-based Key-Ads Inc. has asked the city for waivers from height, setback and distance from residence requirements for the proposed 396-square-foot billboard to be located on U.S. 35 at Todd Street, near Linden Avenue.

This is a privately funded project, with no tax dollars being used to support it. The billboard would be located on the north side of the highway in an industrial area.

"It truly would be state of the art, with the newest digital technology," Nick Keyes, Jr., vice president of Key-Ads.

The company, a family-owned business operating in Dayton since 1955, plans to allow some public service messages on the billboard and they would have the ability to quickly post Amber Alerts.

Two public meetings have been set to discuss the proposed sign. The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 6:15 p.m. at the Southeast Priority Board, 2160 E. Fifth Street. The city of Dayton Plan Board will have the proposed billboard on its agenda at 4:30 p.m. in City Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

Key-Ads initially agreed to remove a billboard at Hoover and Verona in exchange for the waivers, but the Plan Board felt removal of that 72-square-foot billboard would not result in an equitable exchange for the new one.

The Plan Board also expressed concern that the billboard would affect a major view of downtown from the highway and that it would be visible from homes on Carlisle Avenue.

"We designed the billboard to be a part of the vista," Keyes said. "The nearest home is across the highway 300 feet away."

In response to these concerns, Key-Ads modified their application to offer three proposals, each including the removal of multiple billboards so that the waivers could be granted for the U.S. 35 sign.

The Mayor

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Announcement - Dayton's Mayor Rhine McLin is expected to attend our next meeting on February 6, 2009 at 7 pm. Everyone in the St. Anne's Hill neighborhood is welcome to join us and bring a question for the Mayor. She is running for a third term this November.
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Website Data

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Happy New Year! Our first meeting of the year is tonight at 7 pm in the Liederkranz building at the corner of Fifth and High Streets.

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The St. Anne's Hill Historic Society will continue working hard to represent our neighborhood in 2009. Here's some year-end data about the St. Anne's Hill website!

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St. Annes Hill Historic Society Site Summary

Visits Total ....................... 13,477
Average per Day .................. 6

Average Visit Length .......... 2:04

This Week ....................... 40

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Recent visitors by location:

Dayton, Ohio

Lima, Ohio

Findlay, Ohio

Tipp City, Ohio

Springfield, Ohio

Morrow, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

West Alexander, Pennsylvania

Chicago, Illinois

Naperville, Illinois

Murphysboro, Illinois

Buffalo, New York

Irmo, South Carolina

Orlando, Florida

Boulder, Colorado

Jamestown, North Dakota

Dallas, Texas

Las Vegas, Nevada

Phoenix, Arizona

San Francisco, California

Hayward, California

Salt Lake City, Utah

Vancover, Canada

London, UK

Free Shirt!

From the email tree...

The December General Membership meeting will be on Tuesday, December 2nd, as always, at 7 pm in the Liederkranz at the corner of High and Fifth.

ALSO, as a Christmas thanks, all who attend will be entered to win their very own SAH T-shirt!
SAH shirts will also be available for purchase... they make GREAT gifts!
Mix or match, short or long, large or XL, 2 for $20.
Shirts will be on hand for immediate gratification!

If you cannot attend but would like to purchase SAH shirt(s), email or call and I will deliver to your door.

Thanks so much!

Leah Turnbull

Hail to the Chief

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Effective November 1, St. Anne's Hill Historic Society President Tom A. will be stepping down from his position on the Board of Directors. Tom is leaving Dayton to take a great new job in Colorado. He will be joined by our talented webmistress and membership Chair, Bobbie. Please join us in showing appreciation for their service and to say farewell at our next meeting on Tuesday, November 4.

It will be an exciting day, not only because of the national election but because we will be electing next year's officers for our organization as well. The meeting starts with a potluck at 6:30 pm in the Liederkranz building.

EDIT UPDATE, from Jack: "They have asked that we not do anything fancy or elaborate to recognize them. But they will join us for a farewell gathering at Southpark Tavern (formerly The Pizza Factory), 1301 Wayne Avenue at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday November 2nd. Everyone will pay their own way for food and drinks."

See you there!




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SAH Elections

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Reprinted from the e-mail tree, for all to see:

Now's your chance to get involved. A buzz word being used by both major parties in the national election this year is "Change". If you don't like the way things are, or aren't, being done consider stepping up and getting involved. You have a voice, ideas, energy and personality. Use them! Positions up for grabs this year are President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer (all one year terms) and 1 board seat (a two year term).

Contact John See or Jim DeWeese if you are interested in being included on the slate, or come to the October 7 general membership meeting to be nominated from the floor. All nominees must be present at the October meeting to accept their nomination. Nominations will close at the end of that meeting. The election will be held at the November 4 general membership meeting, same day as the national election. There will be a pot luck supper before the meeting. More info to come on that later. You must be a member of St. Anne's Hill Historic Society to run for office, and to vote. If you are not sure of your status contact membership chair Bobbie Puterbaugh.

All general membership meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month, at 7:00 p.m., at the Leiderkranz Turner building at High & 5th.

As a reminder, St. Anne's Hill [Historic Society] is a 501c3 non-profit corporation. As such we, as an organization, cannot endorse any candidate or issue. That is not to say we don't personally all have our opinions, just that St. Anne's [Historic Society] will take no official position.

Susan Gray on behalf of the St. Anne's Hill board of trustees.

My name is Keith and I approved this message. (just kidding!)

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Crime Prevention

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There has been some neighborhood concern about crime lately. Just so everyone is aware, here are a few of the things going on in our neighborhood that everyone is welcome to participate in:

1. Monthly meetings - The next meeting is TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 at 7 pm in the Liederkranz basement. Almost every month we have Police officers on hand to provide information and take notice of your concerns. This is YOUR best chance to talk face-to-face with the Police. This month we will have a special guest from the County Sheriff's office to discuss their sex offender programs.

2. Neighborhood Watch - There is a small group of dedicated people (and a few friendly dogs) who are walking, driving, or biking the streets at night to help keep the neighborhood safe. If EVERYONE just took 10 minutes to walk around the neighborhood each day or night, we would be a safer (and heathier) place.

3. Call Tree - This has recently been revived to help make sure we get the attention we need when there is a problem. Send an email to news@stanneshill.org to sign up!

4. Newsletter - Besides all the articles and neighborhood updates, there is contact information for every possible problem you might have. And if it's not there, someone will find it if you just ask. If you have ideas, contribute an article.

Communication and collaboration are two keys to preventing crime. Here are some tips for protecting your home. Always call 333-COPS if you see anything remotely suspicious.

The Board of Directors for the Historic Society is looking into some additional security measures. If anyone has specific suggestions or would like to get involved, please post a comment or email news@stanneshill.org with your thoughts.

Get involved!
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Neighborhood Conference

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FYI...

The 1st Annual Neighborhood Conference is scheduled to be held at the Convention Center on September 13th from 8 AM to 5 PM. Pre-registration is $20.00 On site registration is $40.00. John Gower [Dayton's Director of Planning & Community Development] will be the keynote speaker.

The theme is "Neighborhood Treasures: Discovering our assets". This should be a yearly event. The ultimate goal is to host the Regional Neighborhood Network Conference (RNNC) in 2010.

Workshop topics may include Neighborhood Marketing & Promotion, Neighborhood Best Practices, Neighborhood Diversity, Recruiting and Retaining Community Volunteers, Neighborhood Revitilization, Community Gardens, Asset Based Development, Service Learning, Land Banking, Anchors, People, Non-profits, and more.

For more information call (937) 333-3670.

Edit: The registration form is now available online. See you there!

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Ruskin Dedication

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It's back to school time!

Ruskin PK-8 School
Dedication & Open House
Sunday, August 17, 2008
3:00 pm

Please stop by and show your support for this neighborhood asset!

As we learned earlier this year, Ruskin will be a charter school within Dayton Public Schools but operated by East End Community School, with additional support from the University of Dayton Fitz Center. The school is located just across the McClure Street Bridge from St. Anne's Hill.

Here is the original Ruskin School, from the late 1800's, when St. Anne's Hill was built:

Oh, those summer nights!

Thanks to all who attended the meeting last night. We had a lot of folks come out on a hot summer night. Special thanks to Sgt. Tipton from the Dayton Police who came out to address our concerns. He reminded everyone to call 333-COPS if you have a problem, and that you can call the District office if you have follow-up questions or concerns.

The Board of Directors also announced their intention to pursue a "mini-grant" from the City of Dayton. After hearing many ideas from the community, we decided to go after banners for Fifth Street to help identify and market the neighborhood. They also brought forward a motion to make some minor amendments to the by-laws, which was approved.

There was some other discussion about opportunities for folks to volunteer with the re-constituted PDI (Preservation Dayton, Inc.) or at the German Picnic organized by the Liederkranz. The next social event will be another PPD later this month, so we can look forward to that as well.

The next general membership meeting will be Tuesday, September 2nd. I'll see you there!

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Obama at Stivers

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Regardless of your political persuasion, this is exciting news for the St. Anne's Hill neighborhood!

Obama in Dayton Friday
By Jessica Wehrman
Dayton Daily News
Wednesday, July 9, 2008, 03:50 PM

Sen. Barack Obama will make a campaign swing through Dayton on Friday, July 11, his campaign announced today.

Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, will visit Stivers School for the Arts in Dayton for a town hall meeting on energy security.

Obama visited Zanesville earlier this month, and visited Columbus in June.

Stivers School for the Arts is located at 1313 East 5th St. Doors open for the event at 10 a.m. While the event is free and open to the public, tickets are required.

Tickets will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis, with two tickets available per person. To get two tickets, each person must turn in two names along with contact information.

Tickets will be available at the following locations at the following times:

Montgomery County Democratic Party 131 S. Wilkinson St. Dayton, OH 45449 Thursday, July 9, 4pm-8pm Contact: 937-223-3729

Neighbors should expect heavy traffic around Stivers on Friday. This could be a great opportunity to showcase our little community to a national audience!


For any guests or media that might be reading this, the school is adjacent to the St. Anne's Hill historic district in Dayton, Ohio. Please contact us at news@stanneshill if you would like more information. Welcome to the neighborhood!


Note and disclosure: The St. Anne's Hill Historic Society is a registered 501(c)(3) organization and does not endorse or support any particular candidate for office. This blogger is currently on the Board of Directors for the organization.

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Nineteen

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Nineteen is a magic number this month! On July 19, we'll have 2 special neighborhood events.

First is the semi-annual Alley Sweep, where neighbors help neighbors get rid of all their junk. The City provides the garbage truck and everybody piles trash inside. I'm sure some of it will be leftovers from the Trash 'N' Treasure sale last week. Volunteers will be rewarded with breakfast AND lunch.

That evening is the monthly social we know and love as the PPD - Porch, Patio, and Deck party. This is a progressive dinner of sorts, where three or four neighbors offer up their yards for a fun night out. There is a nominal cost to cover the food and drink.

If any of that sounds like a fun way to spend 19 hours or so, then contact us or watch for a flyer on your doorstep with more information. If not, I'll suggest that you wear your St. Anne's Hill t-shirt proudly at the Air Show.

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