So, I’ve been meaning to do this for a while, but I finally got around to taking some pictures of the town in which I live (Oakwood) I’m not a great photographer and I admit this is my first attempt. In taking walks around my neighborhood, I have found Oakwood to be full of beautiful aesthetics and architecture. However, in the process of my photo tour today, I was reported to the Oakwood police as a suspicious person, and in fact got pulled over by the po-po. People of Oakwood; as a fellow resident, please lighten the hell up...not everyone out there is out to get you. The officer explained to me that the camera was raising suspicions and people thought I were casing their houses! I almost laughed out loud...so much for my civic duty. I wanted to take some more pics, but I didn't want to get thrown in the clink! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the pics!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

very 'old money' looking.  Hyde Park and UA esque for sure. 

Oakwood is one of Ohio's best suburbs, not simply because of the landscape, architecture, but the history, as it historically has been the Olmsted Bros. finest achievement in regards to the landscape planning.  Sadly, that landscape planning introduced the cul-de-sac, office parks, and various other evils of the world (talking to YOU, Muirfield) but Oakwood is special for all landscape architects.

 

I know where the majority of those houses are (Ridgeway is a big clue for most) but one in particular I've never seen.  Perhaps I should explore...more...but drive under 35 still.

Who is mostly responsible for these mansions?

Great shots!  Oakwood is home to some of the best mansions in Ohio.

Very nice!  The thing that always fascinates me about Oakwood is the contrast between east and west of Far Hills- gridded streets and pretty dense housing on the east, and all those nice mansions and Olmsted stuff on the west.  In all, quite a nice suburb!

Nothing like some pix of the Oakwood estate district to push me into thoughts of a Sunday drive!  It is grand, isn't it?

 

Yet, It was never ordained that Oakwood would become what it is today...

 

The place was first platted in the early 1870s as an end-of-the-line horescar suburb, but it was not the only place like that in Dayton.  Oakwood was competing similar end-of-the-line plats in east and west Dayton and with the Datyonview across the river. These places where at first more sucessfull than Oakwood in attracting Dayton's bourgouis.

 

In fact Oakwood didn't expand beyond its orginal small plat for most of the 19th century, and there doesn't seem to be much from that era still standing.  The horescar, later streetcar, company also operated a little picnic grove there at the end of the line, as a way drummng up buisness.

 

The rich of Dayton preferred the Dayton View and Grafton Hills areas for "suburban" locations, thus Oakwood languished.  It was probably the combination of the 1913 flood, the failure of Dayton's elite to secure a location for the country club off of Salem Avenue, and John Patterson's selection of Oakwood for his "Far Hills" estate that made Oakwood.

 

One of the early Oakwood subdivisions, below the hill & closer to Dayton, was Schantz Park, and it is a great example of how restrictive covenants where used as a form of zoning, as that subdivision had sort of a gradation of value and size, based on the block and the street the lot was on.  One was required to build a house of a certain size, with a yard of certain size, per deed restrictions.  The developer, Adam Schantz (who was a brewer as well as a real estate speculator) also may have had something to do with the development of Moraine as well.

 

Patterson had a great deal to do with Oakwoods 20th century developement. He had required his National Cash Register managment to live near him, which meant a real estate boom in the areas east of Far Hills avenue and south of the Patterson "Far Hills" estate...this was where the white collar workforce started to relocate, while buisness owners (like the Rike deptarment store owners) and CEOs lived in the mansions west of Far Hills.

Oakwood also benefited by the streetcar extension up the hill and down Far Hills, following the plats as they opened. This line ran on private right-of-way, which is now the northbound lanes of Far Hills.

 

The first defeat at suburban annexation came in Oakwood, in the 1920s.  The haute bourgouis west of Far Hills felt that since they did not live in "Dayton", they had no real voice or influence in Dayton city government, thus wanted Oakwood to be annexed.  It was the middle management/white collar workers east of Far Hills that didn't want this, as they liked the snob appeal of living in an "exclusive" suburb (which was restricted to whites and gentiles via deed convenants, though the Jews where permitted a cemetary..the Jews couldnt live in Oakwood, but they could be bureid there).

 

So the east-of-Far-Hills people organized against the annexation/merger attempt, defeated it, and retained Oakwood as an exclusive suburb seperate from Dayton.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a lot of interesting things going on with the planning and landscaping in Oakwood west of Far Hills, the way the topography and dense wooded lots create a sort of optical illusion.  Though large, the houses dont sit on "estates" like in, say, Indian Hills, just fairly large lots. The way the landscaping and plantings, street layouts, and topography work hide this density, giving the illusion of a less dense area. 

 

Its also neat the way the houses and streets interweave with greenspace (like the Houk Stream park) , the "rough" and back fairways of the country club, and Hills and Dales park..

 

What is interesting to speculate is that if the Olmstead firm did the country club, Hills and Dales park, laid out some of the subdivisions, as well as landscaped some of the estate grounds...though these where seperate commissions, perhaps the firm did them as additive pieces to an evolving landscape gesamtkunstwerk, where the parts add up to a whole.

 

What is interesting to speculate is that if the Olmstead firm did the country club, Hills and Dales park, laid out some of the subdivisions, as well as landscaped some of the estate grounds...though these where seperate commissions, perhaps the firm did them as additive pieces to an evolving landscape gesamtkunstwerk, where the parts add up to a whole.

 

You answered your own question.  'tis true.

ColDayman: I think I know exactly which house you are talking about, I completely stumbled upon it....and I think it is my favorite oakwood home. Everytime I take a walk or even go for a drive, I end up getting lost....almost like alice in wonderland. But, I also find a new house I hadn't seen before....so it's a win/win.

 

Jeff: The Smartest person I know. I was actually trying to look up the history of Oakwood, but was having a bit of trouble. I've lived in Dayton all my life, but have only been in Oakwood the last 3, so I'm very excited to find little facts out about it. Do you know if the Olmstead Brothers develpoed/planned the entire city?

 

My house is a little unique in that it's ony 1 of 4 in Oakwood that was constructed completely of steel. It was built in 1937 and I think still has the original tin roof. There is an ongoing tradition from the original owners to each respective  owner, to pass on the original blueprints of the home. I have them right now in my closet, and I think it's a neat idea. I've thought of getting them copied and framing them....or even framing the originals.

 

Hopefully I'll venture in the East side and get some pics....hopefully minus the police! But, even on the east side there are some gorgeous homes with a lot of great arcitecture to them....usually overlooked b/c of the west side homes.

 

also, while on the west side, there is a HUGE mansion being constructed right now....I saw the frameworking up, so I can't wait to see it when it's done.

 

 

 

 

Do you know if the Olmstead Brothers develpoed/planned the entire city?

 

They didn't develop/plan the entire city (as the city did annex some land later on along with additions) but they did a big chunk of it.

Thanks for the tour.  Some huge houses.

I didn't know DAY had that kind of money.  I always thought of it as a work a day town with its richer big brother to the south.

I didn't know DAY had that kind of money.  I always thought of it as a work a day town with its richer big brother to the south.

 

Every city has "that" kind of money.  Rich people exist everywhere.  And Oakwood is just one of many "rich" areas of Metro Dayton.

I didn't know DAY had that kind of money.  I always thought of it as a work a day town with its richer big brother to the south.

 

SSSCincy, you should come up and explore.....there's alot more than you think!!

I am intrigued.  I would like to visit.

Great photos, you captured Oakwood well!

I was actually trying to look up the history of Oakwood, but was having a bit of trouble.

 

You shouldn't have too much trouble to find historical info on Oakwood as that suburb is pretty well documented, for Dayton.

 

There is a general local history entitled "Oakwood, The Far Hills".  Then there is also a promotional book on Schantz Park (with copious illustrations of big houses) and a history of the Dayton Country Club.  Back when there was a Montogomery County Historical Society and it published an annual magazine they had an article on the 1920s annexation fight.

 

All of this is available at the downtown library, and perhaps at the Oakwood library as well.

 

I think Oakwood even has a local historical society.

 

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Every city has "that" kind of money.  Rich people exist everywhere.  And Oakwood is just one of many "rich" areas of Metro Dayton.

 

Though this sounds like I'm fluffing one of my old threads...extending the Oakwood  mansion district south of Dorothy Lane:

 

Kettering West of Far Hills

 

(including some links to bios for a few local industrialists, so one can see where the $$$ came from)

 

 

 

 

You have some keepers there.  I love Oakwood although people like to dis it in Dayton because it is the jewel of the metro.

 

BTW, was Oakwood once a city neighborhood before it was a separate suburb?

You have some keepers there.  I love Oakwood although people like to dis it in Dayton because it is the jewel of the metro.

 

BTW, was Oakwood once a city neighborhood before it was a separate suburb?

 

The extreme northern half of Oakwood was once part of Dayton (close where Neil's Heritage House is) but it now part of Oakwood.

 

And no, everyone in Dayton Metro disses it due to the horrendous traffic cops.

From my experiences it is just jealousy. 

Maybe in Fairborn lol

Right!  Ya gotta do the speed limit going through Oakwood, fer sure.  I dated a girl from Oakwood in my early 20's and was late for half of our dates due to nosy cops.  They couldn't resist checkin' out the hoopty city car, I guess.  Still-as many times as I was stopped I never once got a ticket, and the cops were usually friendly enough after giving the car the once over(except the time I played a late softball tournament and was stopped; the cop saw the bagful of bats and called backup, claiming a high number of car break-ins in the area of recent).

My house is a little unique in that it's ony 1 of 4 in Oakwood that was constructed completely of steel. It was built in 1937 and I think still has the original tin roof.

^Didn't know Oakwood had any all steel homes...let alone from '37!

Great pics.

Great pics! Oakwood is one of my favorite summer drives! And it sure makes ya wanna dream a little! ;-)

aww will ya look at those old cdm posts. a shame about that tragic balloon accident.

Not to ask a silly question or bring race into everything but are there many minorities living in this area?

No.  It's about 5% visible minority.

Love to explore Oak wood beautiful homes