Daytonians used to have a different name for industrial lofts.  Here they were called “power blocks” or “power buildings” instead of lofts.  This was because these structures had their own power source, either a steam engine and belt & pulley transmission, or generator providing electric power.  As in examples in other cities power blocks were either built on spec, as sort of a vertical industrial park, or purpose-built for one company.

 

 

Callahan Power Building

 

One of the older on-spec ones in Dayton, it seems, was the Callahan Power Building. 

 

Apparently this structure dated from either the late 1870s or early 1880s.  It was an example of a local industrialists venturing into commercial real-estate, which was a common phenomenon in 19th century Dayton.  Callahan was an early foundry and machine shop, located on east  t 3rd (some of it is still there).

 

The proprietor (or his son) built commercial structures on Main, just north of Third.  The power building was built mid-block.

 

 

The mark-up on this pic shows the expansion of National Cash Register in the building, eventually even expanding across the alley to an adjacent building, before Patterson built his own factory south of town. 

 

As one sees from this earlier post, Delco did the same thing 30 years later, but in a different “power building”.

 

Close inspection of Sanborn maps (1880s & 1890s) show the location of the chimney, boilers, engine, and freight elevator (near the large double doors for winching stuff up into the loft space),  and a perhaps row of skylights running down the center of the factory.

 

 

One can locate this building by cross referencing features visible in this pick with a Sanborn map

 

 

1.  Water Tower

 

2.Bridge Across Alley

 

3.Roof hatch

 

4.Skylight

 

5.Chamfered corner of building.

 

 

This puts the building on the block just east of Main, between 2nd and 3rd

 

 

…and an aerial of the same block showing the dense building fabric. 

 

 

What’s fascinating is how the block is filled-in, and the system of back alleys, which are named and called “lanes”.  The original city plat had east-west lanes but made no provision for north-south alleys paralleling Main Street.  These and additional north-south lanes were added in various downtown blocks. 

 

Deep lots permitted the development of a secondary urban fabric of storage, industrial, and service buildings.  Lots eventually filled as street frontage buildings incrementally expanded to the rear, eventually joining up with the back lot buildings.

 

One sees this throughout downtown; the interior of certain downtown blocks was a veritable Kasbah of back lot structures of various heights, little yards and courts, narrow alleys and lanes, bridges between buildings over the alleys, and so forth.

 

 

Ohmer’s Factory

 

Another example of loft construction in the heart of the city is the Ohmer Furniture factory. Built sometime after 1875 facing 1st Street, and was replaced in the 1920s by one of those parking garages that look like commercial buildings (but with a nice terra cotta facade)

 

 

(stage fly of the Victoria is immediately to the right in the pix)

 

 

A second loft building was built to the rear, connected to the main factory by a bridge. It isn’t a true power block as it was not built on spec, but for a single business. The concept of high density mid-block infill is still evident, though, which makes it of the type.

 

 

One can see the building in the background of this Main Street pix (old wood building with the long porch was antebellum, and a tavern or saloon of some sort). Ohmers original showroom of 1875 (perhaps a workshop too, on the upper floors) was next door.

 

 

 

Ice Avenue Lofts

 

Only one of these 19th century downtown power blocks still stands, converted into lofts. It's also a good example of how secondary streets and alleys developed downtown to provide better access into the blocks.

 

 

A tannery appears on the site in the 1875 combination atlas and in the 1889 Sanborn, but based on the building heights, 2, 1, and 4 stories, this isn’t the building we see today, except, maybe, for the side facing Ice Street, which may have been part of this original tannery.

 

 

One can see a new alley running north/south between Spratt (Ice) and 1st.

 

And a modern photo, houses along St Clair have been replaced by a commercial buildings, but this is probably how these power blocks looked, setting back away from the main streets.

 

 

By the 1898 Sanborn (north is to the left) the tannery was replaced by this power block.  One can see a true loft use, with multiple companies occupying the building. The side alley is still there, too. This was a pretty dense little block.

 

 

(also, the ice works can be seen at the intersection of Harris and Spratt)

 

The building today, pretty sure this is the last surviving 19th century industrial building in the heart of downtown (i.e. on the original plat).

 

 

Beaver Power Building.

 

This was one of the last industrial lofts downtown, built in 1910 at the corner of St Clair and Jefferson.  The site in the late 1890s was fairly loosely built, but there were some fairly old (antebellum?) doubles on St Clair Street (which also appear on the Titus map of 1869, they were at least that old), as an illustration of how there was a lot of residential downtown back in the day.  In foreground one can see an old Coca-Cola sign, and behind it perhaps a burned out site (the double nearest looks like it has scorch marks).  This was listed on the Sanborn as a lumber storage yard

 

 

The corner with the Beaver block site outlined in red

 

 

And the new building, in a U shape, with parking provided.  Already in 1910 they were thinking of parking

 

 

The building today, converted into residential (St Clair Lofts).  The building has historic significance as the first manufacturing site for Delco (Delphi) which quickly outgrew the building.

 

 

Fantastic!

Your local history research seems very complete!! My wife and I are doing a little research on the block containing the Callahan Bldg and the Beckel House, specifically the events that happened on that block Easter of 1913, during the Great Dayton Flood. My question is: Do you know the year of the Sanborn map pictured here? And, is there a higher-resolution version of the entire block available somewhere?

 

I know you were finished with this topic two years ago, but if you can answer our question, we would be very appreciative. Have a wonderful day.