National Register of Historic Places

McPherson Town Historic District

Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio
Listed
September 28, 1988
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
88001712

About this property

The McPherson Town Historic District of Dayton, Ohio, contains roughly 90 structures north of downtown Dayton, across the Great Miami River. Tucked into a corner of the horseshoe area formed by a bend in the Great Miami River, McPherson Town was founded on February 1, 1845. On this date, an Irishman named Samuel McPherson filed a plat consisting of 34 swampy, wooded lots on both sides of Dayton and Covington Turnpike. The center of this plat was located at the present-day North Main Street. and McPherson Street. McPherson Town and much of Dayton were devastated by the flood of 1897 and the Great Dayton Flood of 1913. Many homes were destroyed or badly damaged. Current residents still find pounds of flood mud in walls and ceilings during renovation projects. In the years following World War II, many Dayton residents moved to the suburbs. After years of neglect, the McPherson Town area was slated for bulldozing and urban renewal. Residential property was purchased for speculative purposes, including commercial development, highrise condominiums and an interstate highway. But in the early 1970s, a few key private investors recognized the unique historical significance of the neighborhood and began to renovate several old homes. With this, a move to obtain historic district status began. In August, 1977 Dayton declared McPherson Town its third historic neighborhood and structures were protected from future urban renewal efforts. In 1988, McPherson Town was registered on the National Register of Historic Places, bounded by Main Street, the Great Miami River, I-75 and Downtown Dayton (No. 88001712). City of Dayton Ordinance #25363. Most of the structures still in existence today in McPherson Town were built between 1880 and 1900. The architecture of McPherson Town Historic District includes examples Stick/Eastlake, Queen Anne and others. Since 1995, several modern infill houses have been constructed to replace structures that had been lost to fire or decay, and repair the streetscape of the neighborhood. These new construction homes are designed to look period with modern conveniences. National Register of Historic Places listings in Dayton, Ohio Miami Valley Conservancy District Archived April 23, 2017, at the Wayback Machine

Location

Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio
39.76810, -84.19597

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about McPherson Town Historic District

This page lists McPherson Town Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
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
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your McPherson Town Historic District report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Dayton Art Institute
Industrial
0.3 mi
Dayton Young Men's Christian Association Building
Industrial
0.3 mi
Biltmore Hotel
Industrial
0.3 mi
Hanitch-Huffman House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Insco Apartments Building
Industrial
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

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

Questions about this property

When was McPherson Town Historic District listed on the National Register?

McPherson Town Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 28, 1988.

What type of historic resource is McPherson Town Historic District?

McPherson Town Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for McPherson Town Historic District?

The period of significance for McPherson Town Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near McPherson Town Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near McPherson Town Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Montgomery County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Montgomery County.

Explore MontgomeryCounty ›

More historic places in Ohio

Browse all historic places in Ohio.

View Ohiohistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Ohio history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Ohiohistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near McPherson Town Historic District will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report