Posted April 8, 200817 yr The Springfield situation made me think of what is happening in Dayton, not wholesale like Springfield, but piecemeal. I posted this at my blog, but I think it really belongs here. Dayton is about to lose about a substantial amount of 19th century housing stock, and probably quite a few old commercial buildings. City government is embarking on an ambitious demolition program that will transform the face of the city. But some of what will be lost are some of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. Mapping Older Housing I use three primary sources for quickly mapping concentrations of older housing in Dayton. 1. 1934 Housing Study, a local project from the New Deal era, which identifies housing by precinct. 2. 1940 Housing Census, maybe part of a national project by the US Census & WPA to provide city atlases of various characteristics of housing, by census block for US cities (the Chicago atlas is two large dictionary-size volumes). 3. 1954 Housing Plan, by Harlan Bartholomew & Associates, which appears to be based, in part, on the 1940 housing survey, but omits commercial strips and downtown. The 1930s Housing Study uses “how old", average age over 40 years old, 39-20 years old, etc, as a way of mapping housing. As this was in 1934, the black colored areas are 1894 and older average age, some of the very oldest districts in the city. The bold hatching would be 1894-1903, cross hatching 1904-1913. Together they are districts with, on average, the oldest housing; antebellum, victorian and ragtime eras. The 1940s survey uses median age, with the following classifications, * 1899 and earlier * 1900-1919 * 1920-1929 * 1930-1940 (and there’s not much there) Big x’s on a block mean there are fewer than 5 units, and blanks mean no units. At this low resolution, the darkest is the oldest housing…1919 and earlier. As a close up, here is downtown (with quite a bit of housing as late as 1940) and the areas mostly along 3rd Street, showing the last remaining housing in Webster Station and blocks of older housing around the Front Street buildings, north of 3rd. Most of this housing is 1899 and earlier. The Harlan Bartholomew study just shows blocks with a median age before 1900 and 1900-1919. Actually a an interesting east-west growth pattern to the WWI era, contrary to what we're used to in modern times. As one can see by this close up the area with the most number of blocks, contiguous blocks of concentrated pre-1900 housing, was the east side of the city. As late as 1954 this was still a substantial collection of vintage housing. Clearing the East Side Mapping out the 1954 pre-1900 concentrations as a black plan (recognizing there would still be a lot of pre-1900 housing in the 1900-1919 range, median age might be closer to 1900 for some of the closer-in blocks). Then looking at removals to 2008: …one can see extensive clearance due to urban renewal and freeway construction. In some cases entire neighborhoods have disappeared. If this was mapped to included median age to 1919 the clearances would have been even more dramatic. Concentrations of pre-1900 housing as of 2008 (note this does not include older commercial districts like Oregon 5th Street or Tals Corner). Certain areas are now under historic district protection and additional large scale removals are planned for certain block groups (Miami Valley Hospital acquisition & demolition efforts at the fringes of South Park, plus the removals planned for the Wayne & Wyoming Kroger project). Next, a map from a recent study of vacancy in Dayton, mapping out two kinds of vacant structures (not just housing) enlarged to show the study area. and some prominent streets are drawn in for reference (the numbers on the key are citywide, not just the area shown). Note the clusters of “problem vacancies”…these are borded-up, or too deteriorated to board up. (in yellow). White are vacant structures not being rented or for sale, but not boarded up yet. And once again, historic districts, as sort of an architectural Noah’s Ark for 19th century housing, and “missing historic districts” labeled, all with substantial concentrations of 19th urban fabric. These are shown in gray as “free-fire zones” for the stepped-up demolition effort. Substantial quantity of the 19th century urban fabric could disappear in the near future in these districts (and a lot of it is boarded up deteriorated, too). We are seeing the last days of quite a few of Dayton’s “century houses”. Note that the new aggressive demolition policy will be piecemeal, not the wholesale neighborhood clearances of yore. The free-fire zone neighborhoods will be eroded house by house, leaving vacant lots pock marking a neighborhood. The greening of these 19th century neighborhoods will be a long term and imperfect process, as most likely one won’t see entire blocks disappear, and there is the opportunity for infill. Field Trip to "Findlay" Taking a “field trip” to on the areas identified in the previous post to see what’s going on, as a ground truth beyond maps and diagrams. I already posted on Newcome Plain, so here is a quick visit to Findlay: This area doesn’t have a name so I’m calling it “Findlay”, as that’s what it was called when it was first subdivided, probably in the 1860s. East of Van Lear was later re-subdivided in 1882, so the housing here is, median, 1880s and 1890s, with probably some 20th century building, too. The area has substantial concentrations of board ups and deteriorated stock. Third Street probably had a lot of larger places like this one, at first, as it was on a car line. Most of that is gone as larger properties from the first plat were re-subdivided, and as the street commercialized. But now there are more vacant lots, too. This big house isn’t boarded, but its clear the place is abandoned. (I did do a thread or two on this a few years ago, just following 3rd Street east, then a look at some of the bigger houses on Findlay Street. Maybe now i can do a before & after?) Three of the four houses visible are vacant and boarded (pix is on Springfield looking south to 3rd, I think the vacant lot used to be the "Alhambra Theatre"...this is close to the Tals Corner business district) Little “sawed off shotgun” near Springfield & Van Lear. This is on Van Lear, I think. One board up, and maybe a vacant. The brick in the background is a double. Note these are just bunched together as we are close to the 3rd street car line, maybe property is more valuable, so the builder squeezed more houses on the lot. And good example of the minimal setback from the sidewalk one sees in these old neighborhoods. Echt Dayton style. One story doubles scattered throughout the 19th century blue collar neighborhoods…sort of a “signature” vernacular houseform for Dayton. But also, paired board-ups... ...And next door, evidence of the demolition program in action. One sees a lot of this in the neighborhood. Down the street a bit more board-ups. One maybe more recent (note the dish antenna) Here is a good string of vacancies. Four board-ups in a row (one is by the tree in the background, not very visible). Across the street, not shown, the houses are still occupied. And a good illustration of the progression. From right to left, * Occupied * For rent or sale: but no takers (nice detail, here, though, on the window frames and roof). * Vacant and boarded up: dropped out of the active real-estate market And, finally, demolished (note the board-up next door): Though this might give the impression the entire neighborhood is becoming vacant, the reality is there is replacement housing being built, and most of the remaining older housing seems to be occupied. Here are some infill examples A vacant lot waiting for a new house (new ones can be seen in the background, with garages facing the alleys). An alternative to demolition is restoration. This is a particularly good example: …but probably not a realistic one as it might cost a lot to restore vacant and boarded up houses. Yet it was nice to see this one example. @@@@ I guess what bugs me is that the integrity of these neighborhoods as cultural landscapes or artifacts will be lost with this big demolition/reconstruction effort. At least some sort of “virtual preservation” could be done, by documenting the neighborhood, houses and streetscapes, in pix and drawings, preserving what the place used to look like.
April 8, 200817 yr Excellent set and diagrams. While large scale demolitions are unfortunate, spot losses are just as frustrating as the create such inconsistent streetscapes. Even with infill, the neighborhoods can never be quite the same; there is a noteable difference between the gentrified areas of the Oregon District and Wright-Dunbar, for instance.
April 8, 200817 yr ^ It might make you cry, but I had a lot of fun doing this thread. I did prove to myself that a lot of the oldest parts of the city will be slowly removed, and the situation is worse than I thought. Daytonians don't realize what they had in terms of 100 year old housing stock and so forth, but at least there are those close-in historic districts where things are somewhat protected. So I guess machts nichts if the rest of the old stuf, or a lot it, comes down.
April 8, 200817 yr Daytonians don't realize what they had in terms of 100 year old housing stock and so forth, but at least there are those close-in historic districts where things are somewhat protected. So I guess machts nichts if the rest of the old stuf, or a lot it, comes down. Bingo and great thread. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 8, 200817 yr ^ It might make you cry, but I had a lot of fun doing this thread. I did prove to myself that a lot of the oldest parts of the city will be slowly removed, and the situation is worse than I thought. Daytonians don't realize what they had in terms of 100 year old housing stock and so forth, but at least there are those close-in historic districts where things are somewhat protected. So I guess machts nichts if the rest of the old stuf, or a lot it, comes down. I live in Huffman Historic District and they really are trying to make an effort to rehab quite a few of the houses in my neighborhood. The lady who lives across the street from me lives in a house that was once a burned out abandonment. The problem in my neighborhood is endemic crime. There is too much drug trafficking inspite of the gates they put up at the ends of the streets. If you look at the houses on Linden Avenue around 3rd, there is a serious amount of capital going into restoring some of them. However, it makes me sad to drive to work and see those very houses on Springfield Street that you posted. Ive watched them board up one by one. Although its funny that across the street is an old house transformed into a makeshift Christian organization. The book "Through the Camera’s Eye:The Photographs of Albert Kern" is great for showing an early 20th century photographic history of these areas.
April 8, 200817 yr However, it makes me sad to drive to work and see those very houses on Springfield Street that you posted. Ive watched them board up one by one. Although its funny that across the street is an old house transformed into a makeshift Christian organization. Theres a real nice old brick double next to that religous group or church (well, "nice" in the porportions and detail, not condition). I didn't post too much on commercial buildings, but that Tals Corner business area looks like it has some issues, particularly that neat corner store on Linden and Third, the old "Midnight Market" (or so it was called). Neighborhood business districts arent really considered a preservation issue, but they are threatened, too.
April 9, 200817 yr Theres a real nice old brick double next to that religous group or church (well, "nice" in the porportions and detail, not condition). I didn't post too much on commercial buildings, but that Tals Corner business area looks like it has some issues, particularly that neat corner store on Linden and Third, the old "Midnight Market" (or so it was called). Neighborhood business districts arent really considered a preservation issue, but they are threatened, too. I honestly cant remember when that market on the corner of Linden and 3rd was ever open. Has to have been over a decade. Theres a building directly across the street on the corner of 3rd and Springfield Street that has an incredible amount of history. Right now its being rented out cheaply and is in pretty bad shape, but looking through old Archive photos that I have, as well as some of the links you suggested, it was at one time a grocer and blacksmith. That little corridor was quite important in Dayton business history. One of the crossroads in East Dayton that led to a lot of different areas.
April 9, 200817 yr I think it was a grocery in 1988 when I first moved here, or there was one next door. Then it turned into a used record shop (briefly). Theres a building directly across the street on the corner of 3rd and Springfield Street that has an incredible amount of history. I think thats the "point" building? I was wondering about that one. A real loss at that intersection was that vacant lot on the Springfield side of the intersection. That was a big three story or so Odd Fellows or Masons lodge. It was a real presence, with a stone facade? Or was it decorative brick? I recall it seemed pretty tall and had good detail work. I believe it burned down in the early 1990s?
April 17, 200817 yr Jeffrey Good that you took photographs of those Springfield Street houses. They tore the tan colored one down earlier in the week as I was coming home from work. Wish I had a camera with me. There is a family that lives next door that was outside just staring in disbelief at the rubble piled next to their house.
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