PRESERVATION DAYTON, INC

Huffman Historic DISTRICT WALKING TOUR

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Welcome to a self guided walking tour of the Huffman Historic Area in Dayton, Ohio.

This walking tour will explore the architectural and historical features of buildings in this neighborhood. The Huffman Historic District was designated by the city of Dayton in 1981 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. If you have any questions about the neighborhood, please contact us by email at [email protected].

This walking tour is intended to provide a leisurely walk through the Huffman Historic Area, allowing ample time to pause and appreciate the architecture, the streetscape, and the amenities of the area. We recommend that you allow 90 minutes to complete the tour, and we ask that you walk carefully, as streets and sidewalks can be uneven, and it’s important to observe the terrain while you appreciate the historical and architectural features of the area.

Listen here: 
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Huffman Historic District Walking Tour
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The Huffman Historic Area is a small neighborhood of restored and well-maintained homes built primarily from the 1860s to the 1890s, located between Third and Fifth Streets in East Dayton. The architecture includes excellent examples of buildings constructed for blue‑collar workers, artisans, merchants, and managers, all within the structure of an old‑fashioned neighborhood.
 
William P. Huffman was a prominent banker, real-estate developer, and businessman of his time; he lived from 1813-1888. In the late 1860s, Huffman founded the neighborhood known today as the Huffman Historic Area. Huffman built the community on 1,200 acres of rural land he owned just outside the city of Dayton.
 
Huffman’s vision was to build an economically diverse, tightly knit community of beautiful, well-crafted homes in which the socially prominent would live among blue-collar workers and artisans.
 
He made the area socially desirable by building elaborate mansions on Linden Avenue for his children as wedding presents. He also donated land for the Linden Avenue Baptist Church and for Huffman School, further contributing to the settlement of the neighborhood. By the end of the nineteenth century, Linden Avenue was referred to as Millionaire’s Row.

The district provides one of the strongest representative samplings within the city of the architecture of the late 19th century from ornate residences of the wealthy to simple workingman's cottages. The homes in the Huffman Historic Area are mostly vernacular with Victorian detailing. The high styles in evidence‑‑Queen Anne, Victorian Italianate, and Victorian Gothic‑‑are primarily concentrated on Linden Avenue.
 
The current residents of this delightful neighborhood reflect the same variety as the architecture. Huffman today enjoys the same advantages that made it an attractive neighborhood in William P. Huffman's day.  Residents are friendly and willing to work together. The elegant architecture provides a beautiful setting that complements neighbors’ interactions, and the district is convenient to downtown Dayton and business districts.
 
As you follow the tour, be sure to notice the many interesting buildings not discussed in the text. Please look for features in the architecture such as rooflines, shingle patterns, chimney pots, wrought iron fences, details of porch and window decoration and ongoing renovations. You’ll be able to develop an educated and subtle eye and enhance your understanding of Dayton’s architectural treasures.

Please begin your tour near the corner of Linden Avenue and East Third Street. ⋆

​↓ Click this box with the arrow to see the details of each property.

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Copyright © 2024 | Photography courtesy of Andy Snow and Alex Duncan
  • Home
  • Our Story
    • About PDI
    • History
    • Contact
    • Preservation Awards >
      • Lifetime Achievement Awards
      • 2024 Awards
      • 2023 Awards
      • 2022 Awards
  • Join Us!
    • Memberships
    • Donate
    • ★ Volunteer >
      • ★ Committees
      • ★ Florence Cemetery
      • ★ Old Greencastle Cemetery
  • Explore
    • Neighborhoods and Landmarks
    • Self-Guided Neighborhood Walking Tours
    • Guided Downtown Dayton Walking Tours
    • Local Restoration Projects
    • Historic Cemeteries >
      • Inactive Cemeteries >
        • ★ Florence Cemetery
        • Fort McKinley Cemetery
        • ★ Old Greencastle Cemetery
      • Calvary Cemetery
      • Dayton National Cemetery
      • Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Dayton
      • Woodland Cemetery & Arboretum
  • Endangered Properties
    • Dayton's Most Endangered >
      • Dayton Daily News Building
      • John R. Reynolds Mansion
      • Leopold Rauh House
      • Michael Neil House
      • Santa Clara Business District
      • Van Deman Apartments
    • Ohmer Garage
    • Lost Properties >
      • Edward T. Snediker House
      • First Church of Christ Scientist
      • Gem City Ice Cream Building
      • Louis Traxler Mansion
    • Saved Properties >
      • South Park Methodist Church
      • Thomas E. Tucker House
  • Events
    • Guided Downtown Dayton Walking Tours
    • Self-Guided Neighborhood Tours >
      • Dayton View Historic DIstrict
      • Five Oaks Historic Districts >
        • Squirrel-Forest Historic District
      • Grafton Hill Historic DIstrict
      • Huffman Historic District
      • McPherson Town Historic District
      • Oregon Historic District
      • South Park Historic District
      • St. Anne's Hill Historic District
      • Paul Laurence Dunbar Historic District
      • West Third Street Historic District
      • Wright-Dunbar Village Historic District
  • Resources
    • Member Only Content >
      • Archived Walking Tours
      • Contractor Directory
    • Start Here!
    • Tips & Tricks (Videos)
    • Home Repair Assistance
    • Years in Review
    • Documents