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Welcome to the self-guided walking tour of the McPherson Town Historic District.
This walking tour will highlight some of the architectural and historical features of the buildings in the McPherson Town Historic District. McPherson Town was designated Dayton’s third historic district in 1977 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. The tour is intended to provide a leisurely walk through this historic community, allowing ample time to pause and appreciate the architecture, the streetscape, and the amenities of the area. 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 beauty and the architectural heritage of the area. We recommend that you allow 90 minutes to complete the tour. If you have any questions about this vibrant and close-knit community, please contact the McPherson Town Historic Society online at www.mcphersontown.com. |
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McPherson Town is tucked into the corner of a horseshoe area formed by a bend in the Great Miami River. The neighborhood is located directly across the Main Street Bridge from Downtown Dayton’s vibrant arts and business center and is within walking distance of the Dayton Art Institute. McPherson Town is significant as one of Dayton’s first suburbs and for its streetscapes of high style and Folk Victorian and Queen Anne architecture, popular during the late 19th Century.
McPherson Town was platted by Samuel McPherson in February 1845. The plat consisted of 34 swampy, wooded lots on both sides of the recently constructed Dayton and Covington Turnpike. Today we know the turnpike as Main Street. Even though a covered bridge had been constructed in 1836, few people chose to settle north of the river due to flooding in the low-lying area. Protective levees were eventually constructed, and in 1868, McPherson Town was annexed, along with Riverdale, a much larger area north of the river.
The later years of the 19th Century were good to McPherson Town. In 1871 Henry Herman and E.W. Davies filed for a subdivision in the area west of Main Street and north of Riverview to what is now Grand Avenue. McDaniel and Babbitt were the primary streets in the new plat. Meanwhile, the City made a number of physical improvements. They constructed an iron bridge to replace a covered bridge destroyed by an earlier flood. They also strengthened and enlarged the system of levees that surrounded the area. Several sections of the turnpike were paved during the 1890s. An old man-made canal or ‘race’ had connected two sections of the Great Miami River north of Downtown, and it was called the Dayton View Hydraulic. It had isolated McPherson Town and contributed to its flooding woes, until 1906, when it was filled in and reconstructed as the Great Miami Boulevard.
Many of Dayton’s middle-class citizens were attracted by these improvements and moved to McPherson Town. The more-affluent new residents built large single and two-family dwellings in the popular Queen Anne and Eastlake styles on the remaining vacant lots. Other residents replaced earlier, smaller structures with similar dwellings. In fact, most of the houses in the district were constructed between 1880 and 1900 and reflect the time when the neighborhood reached its maturity.
Your tour begins at the corner of Riverview and McDaniel Streets. ⋆
↓ Click this box with the arrow to see the details of each property.
McPherson Town was platted by Samuel McPherson in February 1845. The plat consisted of 34 swampy, wooded lots on both sides of the recently constructed Dayton and Covington Turnpike. Today we know the turnpike as Main Street. Even though a covered bridge had been constructed in 1836, few people chose to settle north of the river due to flooding in the low-lying area. Protective levees were eventually constructed, and in 1868, McPherson Town was annexed, along with Riverdale, a much larger area north of the river.
The later years of the 19th Century were good to McPherson Town. In 1871 Henry Herman and E.W. Davies filed for a subdivision in the area west of Main Street and north of Riverview to what is now Grand Avenue. McDaniel and Babbitt were the primary streets in the new plat. Meanwhile, the City made a number of physical improvements. They constructed an iron bridge to replace a covered bridge destroyed by an earlier flood. They also strengthened and enlarged the system of levees that surrounded the area. Several sections of the turnpike were paved during the 1890s. An old man-made canal or ‘race’ had connected two sections of the Great Miami River north of Downtown, and it was called the Dayton View Hydraulic. It had isolated McPherson Town and contributed to its flooding woes, until 1906, when it was filled in and reconstructed as the Great Miami Boulevard.
Many of Dayton’s middle-class citizens were attracted by these improvements and moved to McPherson Town. The more-affluent new residents built large single and two-family dwellings in the popular Queen Anne and Eastlake styles on the remaining vacant lots. Other residents replaced earlier, smaller structures with similar dwellings. In fact, most of the houses in the district were constructed between 1880 and 1900 and reflect the time when the neighborhood reached its maturity.
Your tour begins at the corner of Riverview and McDaniel Streets. ⋆
↓ Click this box with the arrow to see the details of each property.