Posted February 21, 200916 yr The theme here is building substitution and downtown housing. First, the former Dayton Daily News building, looking like a bank because that’s what owner/publisher Cox wanted it to look like (a bank refused him a loan so this was sort of a payback). In front are the all the newsies posed for a group shot, label says "picinic", so maybe that's somewhere other than the intersection of 4th and Ludlow. Note, though, the building just to the right, with the awnings. This was one of Dayton's downtown apartment houses. Beyond that the old Gibbons Hotel, now Doubletree. Today, the DDN building expanded to the rear, then north on Ludlow via a new building in the 1950s, removing the apartment building. Next door is the Schwind Building, built as offices, then converted into a hotel (popular with vaudeville and theatrical types) and later low income apartments, but now vacant due to a failed housing renovation A bit further south on the same block, looking to the east side of Ludlow between 4th and 5th (you can just see the Commercial Building anchoring the NE corner of 4th & Ludlow). This was what was one the site before the Keith theatre. The back of the Methodist church (one can see the two spires) and another downtown apartment building (this one 4 stories). In the foreground are two very interesting houses. One can speculate by the scale and style that these were before the Civil War, probably the second structures built on their lots after the "log cabin era". Looks like a double next to the church, too. (foundation excavation visible in the foreground) The things closer to 4th were replaced by the Keith theatre, which itself was replaced by the 4o W 4th skyscraper. The rest of this part of the block was replaced by the Wurlizter and Ludlow buildings. So a good illustration on how downtown expanded into a residential area. Another illustration around the corner on 4th Street. This house was on the south side of 4th between Ludlow and Main. The house survived into the 1950s as a womens’ club. I think it was replaced by a parking lot. By the time of this pix the backyard was taken up by a five story loft building that opened up onto an alley "Temple Lane". Dayton blocks were so deep that alleys, or lanes, worked as secondary streets with a second layer of construction behind the street -front buildings. Only one of these mid-block survives today, and has been converted into condos. In the background on the upper left one can see the upper floors of the Riebold Building. The scene today. The vacant lot next door to the right (also a house) became the Keith Theatre and now the 40 W 4th Building. Reibold building is still visible. The parking lot that replaced the house is now Pretzinger Lane, built at the same time as the mammoth county parking garage visible down the lane... Pretzinger was the Pretzinger and Pretzinger architectural practice who designed a few of the buildings in this part of downtown (had their offices in the Reibold Building). So perhaps one of the few streets in Dayton (if any) named after an architect.
February 21, 200916 yr Fantastic! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 21, 200916 yr Pretzinger was the architect on many of Dayton's most memorable buildings, and probably worthy of a few blog entries alone (hint, hint). Pretzinger Lane is first discussed in plans here http://www.cityofdayton.org/departments/pcd/Planning%20Docs/Reibold%20Block%20Master%20Plan.pdf
February 21, 200916 yr Yes, but back in the 1960s or 1950s. The entire building was wrapped in a modern curtain wall, so you would never know there was an old building underneath. When the restored it (Doubletree era) they actually had to rebuild the hotel bay windows in the old part. The modern rooms over the garage are actually a lot nicer than whats in the old hotel part.
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