- Dayton Arcade
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Dayton Arcade
Third Street Entrance
Location: Dayton, Ohio Coordinates: 39°45′30″N 84°11′33″W / 39.75833°N 84.1925°WCoordinates: 39°45′30″N 84°11′33″W / 39.75833°N 84.1925°W Built: 1902 Architect: Frank M. Andrews Architectural style: Renaissance, Other Governing body: Private NRHP Reference#: 75001498
[1]Added to NRHP: June 18, 1975 The Dayton Arcade is a collection of five buildings located in Dayton, Ohio.The Historic Arcade is a historical, architecturally elegant complex located in the heart of Dayton’s central business district. Built in 1902, it was conceived by Eugene J. Barney of the Barney & Smith Car Company and consists of five interconnecting buildings topped by a glass-domed rotunda, 70 feet (21 m) high and 90 feet (27 m) in diameter (detailing around the dome includes oak leaves and acorns, grain, rams’ heads, wild turkeys, and cornucopia), below which two balconied upper floors circle the central enclave. As President of the Arcade Company, Barney made sure the Arcade had the latest innovations, including elevators, a power plant and a cold storage plant. The architect was Frank M. Andrews, known also as architect for NCR’s factory buildings and the American Building at Third and Main in Dayton.
The most notable building, which fronts on Third Street, is of Flemish design and is said to be patterned after a guild hall in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It looks like typical old Dutch architecture.. The Fourth Street and Ludlow Street facades are done in Italian Renaissance Revival. The most interesting architectural feature is the great dome. The classic detailing usually found in such rotundas was replaced by detailing representative of Ohio. The cornucopias are filled with fruits and vegetables from Ohio. There are festoons of oak leaves with acorns, ram heads and garlands of grain. At each framing member of the dome are colorful turkeys.
Originally, the main spaces were used as a major farmers’ market with housing located on the upper floors. Through the first four decades of this century, this super supermarket was one of downtown’s prime attractions. Here was where one went for the unusual in fruits and vegetables, seafood, baked goods, food specialties, meats and meat specialties, fresh-cut flowers and assorted luxury items available in or out of season.
In the late 70s, investors began planning and implementing a major restoration of the Arcade. In May 1980, the newly refurbished Arcade was reopened as a retail shopping center, but success eluded the Arcade and the Arcade was closed in 1990. Although currently mothballed, several plans are in the works by preservation minded organizations to reopen the Arcade and its adjacent upper levels. The building was in use until 1991 and remains empty today.[2]
Currently the Dayton Arcade is a Dead Mall. An Ohio not-for-profit group, "Friends of the Dayton Arcade" was created to advocate for the Arcade Building. The group published a book in 2008 entitled, "The Dayton Arcade; Crown Jewel of the Gem City." The former owner owes several hundred thousand in back taxes. This tax obligation was purchased by American Tax Funding. The sheriff's sale occurred on March 12, 2009 and the building was purchased by Dayton Arcade, LLC for the minimum bid of $615,106.02. New Arcade owners, Gunther Berg and Wendell Strutz say they will begin work on the Arcade in 6 months to restore the building to its former glory (with mixed use developments - housing, offices, restaurants, and commercial space). Early estimates on the restoration totals $30 million. Since the purchase by Dayton Arcade LLC on March 9, 2009, no additional real estate taxes have been paid by the new owners. Currently the delinquent real estate taxes total $164,679.62 and the second half installment due in July, 2011 will bring the total amount due to $193,506.34.
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.
- ^ Please See Preservation Dayton's Website
External links
- Ohio Historical Preservation Alliance Site
- Friends of the Arcade
- Preservation Dayton
- Independent Photographer Photo Gallery of The Dayton Arcade
U.S. National Register of Historic Places Topics Lists by states Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • WyomingLists by territories Lists by associated states Other 
Category:National Register of Historic Places • 
Portal:National Register of Historic PlacesCategories:- Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio
- Buildings and structures in Dayton, Ohio
- Dutch Colonial Revival architecture
- Italian Renaissance Revival architecture in the United States
- Arcades (architecture)
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