McPherson Town Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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McPherson Town Historic District
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Houses along McDaniel Street.
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Main St., Great Miami River, and I-75, Dayton, Ohio |
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| Built | February 1, 1845 |
| Architectural style | Stick/Eastlake, Queen Anne and others. |
| NRHP reference No. | 88001712 |
| Added to NRHP | September 29, 1988 |
The McPherson Town Historic District is a special neighborhood in Dayton, Ohio. It has about 90 old buildings located just north of downtown, right across the Great Miami River. It's a place where history comes alive through its unique homes and stories.
Contents
A Look Back: McPherson Town's Story
McPherson Town started on February 1, 1845. An Irish person named Samuel McPherson planned out 34 plots of land. These plots were a bit swampy and wooded at first. They were located near what is now North Main Street and McPherson Street. The neighborhood is tucked into a bend of the Great Miami River.
Facing the Floods
McPherson Town and much of Dayton faced big challenges from floods. A flood in 1897 and the huge Great Dayton Flood of 1913 caused a lot of damage. Many homes were destroyed or badly hurt. Even today, people renovating their homes sometimes find old flood mud inside the walls and ceilings.
Saving the Neighborhood
After World War II, many people moved out of Dayton to the suburbs. McPherson Town became neglected. There were plans to tear down the area for new buildings and highways. Some properties were even bought to build tall apartments or a new highway.
But in the early 1970s, some smart people saw how special this neighborhood was. They started fixing up the old homes. This began a movement to protect McPherson Town as a historic district.
In August 1977, Dayton officially named McPherson Town its third historic neighborhood. This protected the buildings from being torn down. Later, in 1988, McPherson Town was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of places important to the history of the United States. The district is bordered by Main Street, the Great Miami River, I-75, and Downtown Dayton.
Architecture: Homes with History
Most of the buildings still standing in McPherson Town were built between 1880 and 1900. The homes show off different styles, like Stick/Eastlake and Queen Anne.
Since 1995, some new homes have been built in the neighborhood. These "infill" houses replace buildings that were lost to fires or fell apart. They are designed to look like the old homes but have modern features inside. This helps keep the historic feel of the streets.
