National Register of Historic Places

Central Avenue Historic District

Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio
Listed
December 16, 1982
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
82001476

About this property

The Central Avenue Historic District is a small segment of the larger Grafton Hill neighborhood of Dayton, Ohio, United States. Composed of just two blocks near the border between Grafton Hill and Dayton View, the historic district comprises a cohesive collection of houses dating primarily from the turn of the 20th century, and it has been named a historic site. Central Avenue is a prominent example of Dayton's earliest suburbanizing trends, having been built for people who were leaving the original boundaries of the city in and around what is now downtown, along the Great Miami River. At this time, around the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, Dayton was undergoing rapid increases in population and commerce, due to unprecedented industrial growth. As a result, those who were leaving the older parts of the city and moving to Central Avenue were the nouveau riche, who were becoming rich for the first time as a result of wise investment in the city's booming industries. The historic district comprises nineteen buildings: eighteen contributing and one non-contributing. Primarily built as single-family houses, the buildings in the district lie along both sides of Central Avenue both north and south of its intersection with Federal Street, but in no direction does the district extend more than one block from the Federal-Central intersection: parts of Central in these two blocks, as well as all territory to the north, east, and south, comprise Grafton Hill's historic district, and a small non-historic strip is located along Salem Avenue, separating Grafton Hill from the larger Dayton View Historic District farther west. Its identity is not always kept separate from Grafton Hill; some community events, such as walking tours, lump these two blocks of Central Avenue with the surrounding neighborhood. Central Avenue was built at the height of the Victorian era in architecture, and many of the houses display Victorian styles such as Queen Anne, although later modes such as bungalows can also be found. The district's most prominent houses, located at 240 and 338 Central, are both Queen Annes. The built environment on Central Avenue has been well preserved to the point that the neighborhood was designated a historic district and listed on the National Register of Historic Places one week before Christmas 1982. Since that time, the neighborhood has gained further recognition via community-organized walking tours and from Preservation Dayton, which recognized two homeowners for their restoration of the house at 330 Central Avenue.

Location

201-338 Central Ave.
Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio
39.76748, -84.20748

Categories

ARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Steele's Hill-Grafton Hill Historic District (Additional Documentation)
Listed
0.1 mi
Pollack, Isaac, House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Dayton Art Institute
Industrial
0.4 mi
Grafton-Rockwood Historic District
Listed
0.4 mi
Squirrel-Forrest Historic District
Listed
0.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Piqua / Pickaway Aug 8 1780
1780Revolutionary War
7.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Central Avenue Historic District listed on the National Register?

Central Avenue Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 16, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Central Avenue Historic District?

Central Avenue Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Central Avenue Historic District?

The period of significance for Central Avenue Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Central Avenue Historic District?

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