Ohio Modern: Preserving Our Recent Past, Dayton and Surrounding Area Survey Report

Heritage Architectural Associates; Avdakov, Steven; Griffin, Deborah; Kane, Kathy; Wright, Natalie

From introduction: "Ohio Modern: Preserving Our Recent Past, Dayton & Surrounding Area Survey Report is the culmination of an architectural survey conducted in selected neighborhoods and transportation corridors of Dayton and several surrounding communities, including Kettering, Oakwood, Fairborn, Centerville, Huber Heights, Trotwood, and Vandalia. Dayton, Ohio, a designated Preserve America Community, and its surrounding suburbs exemplify the post‐World War II explosion of development in Ohio and other U.S. cities during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Communities across Ohio, including Dayton, dramatically increased in population as a result of returning veterans and workers migrating to Ohio for industrial jobs. Post‐World War II Dayton, home to Wright‐Patterson Air Force Base, as well as numerous automobile, aeronautical and commercial manufacturing sites, required an extraordinary amount of new development to accommodate this surge in population. This need was met through the rapid construction of housing, schools, churches, shopping centers, and commercial and recreational properties that created new, virtually self‐contained suburban neighborhoods. The Ohio Modern project was organized by the Ohio Historic Preservation Office staff, which recognized that resources of this era are minimally documented in Ohio. Conducted by a team of historic preservation professionals, reconnaissance and intensive level surveys were completed and each property of historical and architectural significance was documented on an Ohio Historic Inventory (OHI) form. The body of properties selected is a representative sample of buildings, sites, structures, and objects encompassing the range of age, materials, quality of construction, stylistic influences, and uses (residential, commercial, recreational, educational, religious, etc.) that predominated during this time period. In addition to documenting resources throughout the Dayton metropolitan area, this project will contribute to the body of knowledge pertaining to this era of resources and serve as a model for other communities in Ohio conducting similar surveys. This history‐architecture survey and report is one of two components of the Ohio Modern: Preserving Our Recent Past Project. Gray & Pape, Inc., has prepared a separate statewide\ historic context document outlining the important social, political, and economic trends that shaped land use decisions, architectural styles, property types, and building technology in Ohio from 1940‐1970." Funding for this item was provided in part through a 2008 Preserve America grant to the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office (grant number 39-08-PA-4031) for the Recent Past Historic Context and Dayton-Area Pilot Survey Project. The grant was administered by the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Preserve America is a federal initiative that encourages and supports community efforts to preserve and enjoy our priceless cultural and natural heritage. The goals of the program include a greater shared knowledge about the nation's past, strengthened regional identities and local pride, increased local participation in preserving the country's cultural and natural heritage assets, and support for the economic vitality of our communities.

Ohio Modern: Preserving Our Recent Past, Dayton and Surrounding Area Survey Report

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