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Welcome to a self-guided walking tour of the Squirrel-Forest Historic District within the Five Oaks Neighborhood in Dayton, Ohio.
This walking tour will highlight the architectural and historical features of the area. Two other locally-designated historic districts, Grafton-Rockwood-Wroe and Kenilworth, are just a few blocks to the northwest and also await your discovery. The tour is intended to provide a leisurely walk through this National Register District, allowing ample time to pause and appreciate its irreplaceable architecture and streetscapes. Please walk carefully, as streets and sidewalks can be uneven, and it’s important to observe the terrain while you appreciate the area. We recommend that you allow approximately one hour to complete the tour. If you have any questions about the neighborhood, please contact us on Facebook at Five Oaks Historic Districts Dayton Ohio. |
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The Squirrel-Forest Historic District exhibits a diverse mix of significant, mostly upscale urban domestic architecture built in the early 20th Century.
These streets and the larger Five Oaks neighborhood were part of the expansion away from Dayton’s historic center. This expansion created an inner-city ring of unique architecture. Five Oaks is generally defined as the area bounded by North Avenue on the south, Salem Avenue on the west, Delaware Avenue on the north, Main Street on the northeast, and Forest Avenue on the east.
In the 1850s and 1860s, the area was primarily rural in character. Historical maps from this period show 11 small and moderate-sized farmsteads in the area with the largest farm more than 50 acres in size. By the 1890s, the Dayton View Street Railway traversed up Forest Avenue from downtown Dayton and crossed over Neal Avenue. This access led to increased development in the Five Oaks area from approximately 1900 to the late 1940s.
The area was incorporated within a rural estate established by Jeremiah Hunt Peirce during the 1850s. Peirce was born in Dayton in 1818. He graduated from Miami University at age 16 and joined the Engineering Corps of the Miami-Erie Canal. Later he went to work for the Miami Lard Oil Company. In the 1870s, Peirce formed a lumber and wood products business and then formed a second wood products firm, Peirce and Colman in 1876. Peirce was a lover of fruits and flowers and served as president of the Montgomery County Horticulture Society.
In 1853 Peirce married Hannah Forrer. By then he had accumulated a large tract of land in the area. In the same year, he constructed a large estate on a portion of his land holdings on the west side of Forest Avenue. The larger area became known as Five Oaks because of the stand of mature oak trees found in close proximity to their home.
With the death of Mr. Peirce in 1899, the estate passed to a son, J. Elliot Peirce. Peirce’s son was also a successful business man who owned a tile manufacturing company and was able to maintain the estate during his ownership.
Most of the larger homes within the Squirrel-Forest Historic District were built starting in 1900 when heirs of J. Elliot Peirce begin selling off portions of the Peirce estate. There was no established subdivision plat and no grand scheme for development of the land. However, the Peirce heirs placed specific deed restrictions on the lots that they sold. This contributed to the development of the remarkable homes and streetscape that comprise the Squirrel-Forest District.
As you tour the district, please notice how the Peirce family deed restrictions helped to define the area’s unique streetscape settings, the high quality of the homes and their architecture.
Our tour begins at Corpus Christi Church. Please walk to the front of the church at 527 Forest Avenue ⋆
↓ Click this box with the arrow to see the details of each property.
These streets and the larger Five Oaks neighborhood were part of the expansion away from Dayton’s historic center. This expansion created an inner-city ring of unique architecture. Five Oaks is generally defined as the area bounded by North Avenue on the south, Salem Avenue on the west, Delaware Avenue on the north, Main Street on the northeast, and Forest Avenue on the east.
In the 1850s and 1860s, the area was primarily rural in character. Historical maps from this period show 11 small and moderate-sized farmsteads in the area with the largest farm more than 50 acres in size. By the 1890s, the Dayton View Street Railway traversed up Forest Avenue from downtown Dayton and crossed over Neal Avenue. This access led to increased development in the Five Oaks area from approximately 1900 to the late 1940s.
The area was incorporated within a rural estate established by Jeremiah Hunt Peirce during the 1850s. Peirce was born in Dayton in 1818. He graduated from Miami University at age 16 and joined the Engineering Corps of the Miami-Erie Canal. Later he went to work for the Miami Lard Oil Company. In the 1870s, Peirce formed a lumber and wood products business and then formed a second wood products firm, Peirce and Colman in 1876. Peirce was a lover of fruits and flowers and served as president of the Montgomery County Horticulture Society.
In 1853 Peirce married Hannah Forrer. By then he had accumulated a large tract of land in the area. In the same year, he constructed a large estate on a portion of his land holdings on the west side of Forest Avenue. The larger area became known as Five Oaks because of the stand of mature oak trees found in close proximity to their home.
With the death of Mr. Peirce in 1899, the estate passed to a son, J. Elliot Peirce. Peirce’s son was also a successful business man who owned a tile manufacturing company and was able to maintain the estate during his ownership.
Most of the larger homes within the Squirrel-Forest Historic District were built starting in 1900 when heirs of J. Elliot Peirce begin selling off portions of the Peirce estate. There was no established subdivision plat and no grand scheme for development of the land. However, the Peirce heirs placed specific deed restrictions on the lots that they sold. This contributed to the development of the remarkable homes and streetscape that comprise the Squirrel-Forest District.
As you tour the district, please notice how the Peirce family deed restrictions helped to define the area’s unique streetscape settings, the high quality of the homes and their architecture.
Our tour begins at Corpus Christi Church. Please walk to the front of the church at 527 Forest Avenue ⋆
↓ Click this box with the arrow to see the details of each property.