The End of the Hall

Editor's Note: We're returning to our blog so that we can share this story for the record. To learn more about the Oddfellows Hall, check out our previous stories on this topic here and here.   While we mourn the loss of such a historic treasure, it reminds us exactly why it is so important that we join together in preserving the structures that represent the rich architecture, culture, and history of our community.

* * * *

For Immediate Release
July 29, 2014

St. Anne's Hill Historic Society Marks Demolition of Historic Oddfellows Hall

Dayton, Ohio - The St. Anne's Hill Historic Society regretfully announces that the historic Oddfellows Hall, located at 6 La Belle Street, is being demolished.   The three-story building has contributed to the unique Victorian-era architecture of the St. Anne's Hill Historic District since the Hall was built in the late 1800's.

Although the building has been abandoned for nearly a decade, the fate of the structure was sealed when one of the main roof trusses collapsed and threatened the integrity and stability of the structure.  The local Landmarks Commission approved the demolition in 2012.  The City of Dayton hired a contractor to demolish the building as part of their Nuisance Abatement program, which is now underway.

The St. Anne's Hill Historic Society is extremely disappointed that the building could not be saved, despite the efforts of many people over the years, but nevertheless supports the City's effort to protect the health and safety of the community.  The adjacent property owners were facing considerable danger from falling bricks and portions of the roof, as well as an unknown quantity of asbestos.

Historically, the Oddfellows are groups dedicated to charity and volunteer work in their community, similar to Masons or Rotary Clubs.  They were first established in Victorian England, and later created their first American organization in 1819.  The first known Dayton lodge was created in 1833, and for a time they were a very successful organization.  By 1861, there were reportedly over 200,000 Oddfellows across the county.   They remain active around the world, including several surviving lodges in Ohio.

However in 1982, the remaining Dayton Oddfellows sold their historic LaBelle Street building.   Although it changed hands several times in the last thirty years, no one was able to restore the building to the grandeur it once knew.  Today, the property taxes stand over $65,000 in arrears.   After demolition, the land will mostly likely be foreclosed and sold to the highest bidder for a new development opportunity.

Meanwhile, the St. Anne's Hill community has recently seen a rebirth of new investment and growth.   The Fifth Street Brew Pub has been a major success, thanks to a dedicated group of neighborhood leaders.   The Turkish-American Cultural Center acquired the former Bomberger Teen Center, and several small businesses have moved in as well.  There is currently a new home under construction, which recreates the original structure that once stood there, and many more homes being renovated throughout the neighborhood.

The St. Anne's Hill Historic Society has also undertaken several projects over the years, including the revitalization of Terry Street Park, and decorative signage and artwork throughout the neighborhood.  Last year's "Dickens of a Christmas" holiday tour broke a new record, drawing over 1,000 visitors to downtown Dayton.  The Historic Society has offered programs and services to the neighborhood for nearly 40 years.

For more information about the community or development opportunities, please visit our website at www.stanneshill.org, visit our page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/StAnnesHill, or contact news(at)stanneshill.org.

* * * * *

The following media reports were published as a result of our press release:
WDTN - "Odd" Piece of History Meets Common Fate
WHIO - Remembering Oddfellows Hall in Dayton

This photo was taken just days before the demolition began...


By the end of the week, this was all that was left standing...

More Construction!

In St. Anne's Hill, we tend to take a longer view of history than most folks.  Living in a 150-year old home will change your perspective a little bit.    So a recent blast from the past was all the more surprising when we realized it only went back a handful of years.

Back in 2009 we reported in another blog post that the owner of a vacant lot on High Street had plans to re-build his childhood home, which was lost to a fire in the 1970's.    He announced his intentions to the neighborhood after he was already working with the City of Dayton and an architect to design the structure and apply for building permits.

Then, nothing.   Nada.  Zip.   Maybe it was just a dream.   He seemed to have vanished, and we heard nothing more about it.   

Until now!

All of sudden, there was a big hole in the ground!   And bricks!   And mortar!   And men working!    Much to our surprise, the house is now under construction.    We verified that he finally pulled a building permit earlier this year and the house is literally rising up from the dirt, like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

This is the first new construction in St. Anne's Hill in many years, perhaps even since it became a registered historic district and "modern" architecture was essentially banned from the neighborhood.   Let me tell you, recreating a historic structure from scratch is probably the most difficult way someone could possibly choose to build a house - and it looks like he might just pull it off.

Stay tuned for more news as this project unfolds!    With the new Fifth Street Brewpub, and the Terry Street Park project both under construction, there is a lot of excitement in St. Anne's Hill again.    Come be a part of it!

Construction News

More good news for St. Anne's Hill this week!   The City of Dayton is investing thousands of dollars to replace the sewer lines on Henry Street.    This represents a significant infrastructure project for our community.   

Please note that portions of Henry Street will be closed at various times during the construction period.   The project is estimated to take 60 days or less.

We also appreciate that McLain Street was re-surfaced last year, and that Fifth Street is scheduled for a major repaving project in 2016.   These projects demonstrate how sustainable communities can be revitalized with new public investments at a fraction of the cost of new development.

Please stay tuned for more exciting news in St. Anne's Hill soon!

Brewpub Update

Happy New Year!

There is so much excitement around Fifth Street!   The new Terry Street Park is looking good (with more to come) and now WYSO did a great story about  the Brewpub!   We hear it might go national.  

Check it out!

Streaming Radio Version

Video Version

Here's to more great news in St. Anne's Hill for 2013!




-

On the Threshold

Here's another great article from the Dayton City Paper about our neighborhood treasure, Stivers School for the Arts!   

“Thresholds,” is described by the school as “an impressive example of public sculpture that extends an invitation to the community while enriching the visual legacy of the Stivers campus.” The intersection of blue, orange and grey painted steel planes provides the piece’s structure, and the work plays on the use of straight and curved edges. This sculpture invites the public to interact with it. Situated near the corner of Keowee and Fifth Streets, visitors can walk around and through the two main components of the structure.

Photo by Dayton City Paper

-

Let's Build a Park

 Click here to donate today!

The Terry Street Park is a small property that was acquired by the St. Anne's Hill Historic Society nearly 20 years ago. Since then, it has been a left open as a public space, but it was never much to look at.

Thanks to a mini-grant from the City of Dayton, the neighborhood is now moving forward with a plan to revitalize this corner lot with a new ornamental iron gateway (similar to the photo below), a bocce ball court, and beautiful landscaping to create a peaceful spot for neighbors to spend the day!

Unfortunately, we do not have enough funding to complete everything in the plan. With your support, we can revitalize this property for the benefit of the east Dayton community including St. Anne's Hill, Huffman Historic District, and Newcom Plains - as well as the many residents traveling to and from Downtown or Stivers School for the Arts.

Please contribute $10, $25, or whatever you can offer today! If we meet our fundraising goal, we may be able to complete the project this year.

The St. Anne's Hill Historic Society is a 501(c)3 organization that represents the St. Anne's Hill Historic District neighborhood. Every donation is tax deductible.

 Photo by Nicole K.

New Mural

Check out the new mural in progress at the corner of Fifth and Dutoit!   Thanks to our neighbors Jack M. for the excellent artwork and Gerald S. for allowing the mural on the side of his shop.

New Life for Bomberger

News release from the City of Dayton....

"The City of Dayton has agreed to sell the Bomberger Center (1306 E. Fifth St.) to the Ahiska Turkish American Community Center of Dayton, following the signing of a purchase agreement on Wednesday, April 25.

The 22,276-sq.-ft. structure, constructed in 1956, will be used as a multi-purpose community center for education, recreation and community services for the Ahiska Turkish community and others. Some of the services to be offered will include English as Second Language (ESL) and citizenship classes.

 

The Ahiska Turkish American Community Center of Dayton is a non-profit organization serving Dayton’s Ahiska Turkish community, an immigrant community estimated to include 350 families. The community began settling in Dayton in 2005.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Ahiska Turkish American Community Center agrees to a purchase price of $831,000, an amount that will be forgiven over a 10-year period if the organization continues to operate and maintain the building as agreed. Under the agreement, the facility will remain as a community center.

The Ahiska Center, through the grants it received from the Turkish Government, is committing $45,000 to short-term repairs of the building’s entrance walkways and stairs, and will set aside an additional $50,000 for possible future major repairs. The Turkish Government has also expressed its continued commitment to the operation and upkeep of the Center. The group is expected to begin moving into the facility shortly."

-

1913 Flood

Thanks to the Dayton Metro Library, we have access to this incredible collection of photographs from the Great Dayton Flood of 1913, which is estimated to have caused billions of dollars in damages in today's dollar.   

On our holiday home tours, we often note that Daytonians found refuge in St. Anne's Hill, due to its advantageous location overlooking Downtown, which was underwater at that time.    Here now are some amazing images of the St. Anne's Hill neighborhood during that fateful time....

Photo 1 - Fifth Street near Bomberger Park and Stivers High School

Photo 2 - Dutoit Street near Third Street

Note the Dayton Paper Novelty Company building, which relocated to this facility on 1220 E. Third Street in 1908.   Although this may seem like an ill-fated move, they probably would've been even worse off if they had stayed in their original location on First Street...  

Photo 3 - militiamen on Fifth Street near Wayne Avenue

Photo 4 - View of the Flood from St. Anne's Hill

Photo 5 - Bomberger Park after the Flood

Photo 6 - Stivers High School after the Flood

PS.   Thanks to association member Denny G. for finding these photographs online!

Happy Holidays!

Thanks to everyone who helped to make our biennial Holiday Home Tour a success!    We had about 900 visitors on our tour this year - possibly an all-time record.    It took many volunteers and gracious homeowners to help achieve our goals this year, but most of all we are thankful for the guests and sponsors who helped to keep historic preservation alive and well in Dayton!

Please enjoy these photos of the tour by clicking here and here!   The tour was featured in the Dayton Daily News, too.

Happy Holidays from your friends in St. Anne's Hill historic district!  

 Photo by Karla H.

Photo by Nicole K.

Muth Brothers

Many visitors to our biennial "Dickens of a Christmas" Tour have heard mention of the Muth Brothers, who lived at 101 La Belle Street in St. Anne's Hill.   But what do we really know about them?   Well, a few things...

The Muth Brothers built the home in the Queen Anne style of architecture around 1905, according to Preservation Dayton.  This Wikipedia entry describes the American Queen Anne style as  "picturesque buildings with "free Renaissance" (non-Gothic Revival) details... of the period 1880 to 1910."   The porch, gables, and wrought-iron fence are typical of this period - and the homes in St. Anne's Hill.

We also know that they owned a rigging company, as seen in this advertisement from an old Dayton City Directory, which was like the yellow pages of their day, and can be found at the Dayton Metro Library.

 Of course, it was never quite clear exactly where they conducted their business, because the house is actually one of three homes built side-by-side with no real yard space between them.    For the lucky homeowners who enjoy beautiful Victorian details but would prefer to avoid yard work, this is an ideal situation.    However, that does not answer our question - where did they do business?


 Well, if we look at the historic Sanborn Insurance Map from 1918, which is also available from the Library, we can see that there was actually a warehouse on La Belle Street at one time - just a few doors down from their home.    In fact, this was probably typical of the era.   Many businesses were operated from people's homes or in their own neighborhood.    Before cars, interstates, and suburban sprawl became the norm it made perfect sense to live and work in the same community. (click on the picture to expand the image)

In writing this story, we discovered one more bit of information that was lost in history until recently.   Our friends at DaytonHistoryBooks.com uncovered this gem of a story, which is edited for brevity here....

     The sudden attack upon Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, found not only our government unprepared for war, but also found the manufacturers of public warning apparatus unprepared for the unprecedented demand for their products.

     Sirens, air driven and electrically operated, have long been used by small communities as fire alarms.  These communities generally cover a small area and an adequate coverage was obtained by use of these sirens.  The densely populated cities, however, were unable economically to provide a sufficient number of them to get adequate coverage in their unheard of use as air raid warnings....

   

     This City, classified as a highly strategic one, set to the task of installing warning signals immediately following the Pearl Harbor attack by installing six five-horse-power, four two-horse-power, and fourteen one-half horse power sirens.  The latter were placed at selected points in the noisy sections in the downtown business area.  [Editor's note: Dayton at that time was already an important military asset because of the airplane industry built by the Wright Brothers, and what is now known as Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.}

     Eventually all sirens were ready for operation and a test was planned.  This plan consisted of the placement of 502 civilian defense lieutenants at their posts throughout the City.  Each was to turn in a report as to the dependable audibility of the signal at this particular post.  The results of the tests were very disappointing since less than forty per cent of the reports indicated that the signal was satisfactory.

     We were rewarded for our patient waiting by a demonstration of this new equipment, called the “Victory Siren,” in September, 1942.  This siren was a mobile one and was spotted at Deeds Park in order that the truck upon which it was mounted might be turned in a 360 degree movement, thus giving coverage in a complete circle.

     It was not until early in the spring of 1943 that we were able to see our way clear for purchase of four of this type siren which were then ordered from the Chrysler Motor Corporation of Detroit, Michigan.

     The actual mounting of the heavy sirens was performed by Muth Brothers, riggers, who cooperated with the Council for Defense in this work.

     The task of erecting the towers and mounting the sirens was not a small one.  Our efforts, however, were rewarded by the satisfactory tests that were made for overall coverage.  We feel that if the need ever came for their use in an actual air raid that the Council for Defense and its volunteer workers will be adequately alarmed

So it turns out that St. Anne's Hill played a small part in our national defense because of a little company that started on La Belle Street.   Come learn more about Dayton's History at our next Holiday Tour!



-

Sunny Day

It was a sunny day for an alley sweep!   We had about 30 neighborhood volunteers and a crew of City trash collectors working together Saturday in St. Anne's Hill to clean up our alleys and clear out unwanted junk from our basements.

Afterwards, about a dozen people retreated to the New York Pizzeria on Fifth Street for pizza, salad, and a little rest.    Way to go, neighbors!

 

 

Photos by Abby K.

For more photos, click here!   To find out how you can get involved, visit our website.


-

Vinegar Hill

The Dayton Daily News wrote a nice article about our latest public art project, now known as the Vinegar Hill Sculpture.   We wrote about it in a previous post on this blog.    Here's a bit from the DDN story....

The orchards that were part of the Fifth Street landscape in 1834 were covered with green trees dotted with red apples.

There used to be a very strong vinegar odor from those orchards just east of Keowee Street. The new “Vinegar Hill” sculpture, about 160 pounds of steel, serves to remind visitors to the St. Anne’s Historic District of that fact.

Nationally known sculptor Hamilton Dixon created the eye-catching marker with the help of 19-year-old Bakumba “BK” Elias and K12 Gallery for Young People students Tom Brotherton, Edward Finnicum and Cleveland Sumerlin.

The article also mentioned "The 1600 Group" project at the former American Saloon....

“We bought the building at the end of October last year and hired a painting crew. We are looking for more investors to finish the inside,” said 1600 Group member Joe Dierkers, who is restoring an 1853 house the next street over. “We’re hoping someone will start a restaurant or a tavern for a neighborhood gathering place.”

... and there's a photo of the artists along with a great bunch of neighbors who came out to celebrate the new sculpture!



Public Art

On Saturday, neighbors and friends gathered on Fifth Street to dedicate a new work of public art.   The sculpture was created by Hamilton "Ham" Dixon in partnership with teens from the K12 Gallery For Young People.    The new artwork will help enhance Fifth Street, and also draw attention to the renovations at the former American Saloon.   For more photos of the event, just click here!

 New sculpture on Fifth Street

 

 Teen artists, Jerri from K12 Gallery, and steel artist "Ham" Dixon

Neighbors discussing the new artwork on Fifth Street

 Checking out the renovation work at the old Saloon.

-

Treasured Photos

Please enjoy these amazing photos of the annual Trash N' Treasure neighborhood yard sale, taken by our resident photographer, Nicole.   Here are just a few of them.... see you next year!

Buried Treasures

Join us for the annual "Trash N' Treasure" neighborhood yard sale in St. Anne's Hill this Saturday!    Just click here to get the official map of all the great sales and entertainment for the day.  

While you're here, stop by some of our great local businesses like the New York Pizzeria and the Missing Peace Art Gallery.     There are homes for sale or rent as well.

We are expecting literally hundreds of visitors, so "TNT" is always a great day to visit St. Anne's!

-

Over the Rainbow

Even the rainbows are beautiful in St. Anne's Hill....

 McClure Street Bridge
Photo by Heather K.

The sunsets are pretty nice, too....

Stivers School for the Performing Arts
Photo by Alex P.

Got great photos of the neighborhood?    

Send them and we'll post them here!

-

Brunch Photos

Thanks to everyone who attended the St. Anne's Hill 2011 Spring Brunch!    Special thanks to the Social Committee for organizing the event and to Karla for these photos....

Everyone was in a hurry to arrive...

 The gang's all here!

 

Enjoying the shade...

  

Check out these wheels!

Please join us next time for one of the many great social events in our community!

-

Life on Dutoit

Here's an amazing historic photo of Dutoit Street!

Notes from John....

Attached is a picture Jennifer Mueller Garwood shared with me of her cottage on Dutoit St.   Note the lovely porch...the house to the left of it that has recently been redone...and the house to the right of it with one shutter closed.  Note also the brick street and cool lamp post on the road (why did we ever let those go?!).  The child in the picture is Mr. Herman who lived in the house his whole life as some of you may know. 

Some things never change... see for yourself in St. Anne's Hill.

-

PRESERVATION magazine

Here is a Press Release from the St. Anne's Hill Historic Society... more great news!

Photo by Nicole Klein

NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT FEATURED IN NATIONAL PUBLICATION

DAYTON - For one group of dedicated neighbors, an exciting project has led to national recognition. PRESERVATION magazine has featured the former JoJo's Cafe in their March 2011 issue, highlighting an effort that has been two years in the making. The property is located at 1600 E. Fifth Street in Dayton's St. Anne's Hill Historic District.

PRESERVATION is the award-winning magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the organization that works to revitalize communities and save historic places. The magazine offers lively writing by the nation's best journalists on controversies, trends, accomplishments, and events of importance to cities, towns, suburbs, and rural communities.

The building at 1600 E. Fifth Street was constructed around 1860 by James Sinkey, who operated a grocery store on the 1st floor and lived with his wife Mary in the two rooms on the 2nd floor. It housed a variety of retail uses until the 1930s when it became JoJo’s Café. The Cafe was well-known in Dayton for decades because of its pulled pork sandwiches. After JoJo's closed, the business changed names in the mid 1990s and continued as a neighborhood bar known as the American Saloon until closing in 2008.

This project came about because 29 concerned neighbors came together to purchase and renovate the vacant property. The process started in 2008 with an idea hatched by Brian Young, a resident of St. Anne’s Hill for several years. He thought that this property could be transformed into a neighborhood gathering spot. He called on Joe Dierkers, a long time Dayton commercial Real Estate Broker who had recently purchased a home in the area, to help with the acquisition process. They developed a plan, and with the support of their neighbors, formed a company called The 1600 Group, LLC.

Legal problems, title problems and on-again off-again negotiations caused many delays. Finally, the purchase was completed on October 22, 2010. The exterior work (with a few minor exceptions) was completed on December 7th, only 46 days later. The interior restoration is currently underway.

The 1600 Group is now seeking a business or investor to help bring the property back to a productive use for the benefit of the community. They want to ensure that the business that will be a positive force in the community. and help continue the revitalization
of the historic Fifth Street corridor. The St. Anne's Hill Historic Society is supporting the plan.

Dayton-based photographer Nicole Klein provided the photographs to the magazine.

The neighborhood of St. Anne's Hill is a historic community located one mile east of downtown Dayton, just beyond the historic Oregon Arts District. The area was part of the original out-lots of the city of Dayton, which were plotted in 1815 by Daniel C. Cooper, an early settler of the city. By the 1830's, the first documented use of the name "St. Anne's Hill" appeared in newspaper advertisements promoting the sale of nursery stock from a local greenhouse.

For more information, visit:

http://www.stanneshill.org
http://stanneshill.blogspot.com

Check out the previous posts on this topic - part 1, part 2, and part 3. 

-