Central Avenue Historic District
Why it's listed
Central Avenue Historic District is a short residential street in the Dayton View area, northwest of the Miami River and downtown Dayton, Ohio. It holds fifteen historic houses from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, plus one apartment building counted as an intrusion. Styles include Queen Anne, Neoclassical, Italianate, and Jacobethan Revival, and many lots retain carriage houses at the rear, some of them elaborate. Large old maple trees shade the street. The district was nominated for its architecture and its role in social history. It represents Dayton's earliest suburban development, as population moved outward from the city center during a period of rapid growth and new urban amenities. Early residents included attorneys, company officers, and a school principal, part of a rising professional and business class. Two pivotal Queen Anne houses, at 338 and 240 Central Avenue, are called among the finest of their style in the city. Condition today ranges from excellent to deteriorated.
Significance in brief: The district is nominated for architecture and social history. It is presented as an outstanding example of Dayton's earliest suburban development, west of the Miami River, built for rising professionals and businessmen. Its Queen Anne houses, especially the two pivotal examples at 338 and 240 Central Avenue, are described as among the finest of their style in Dayton.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF). NRHP reference 14000480, listed August 8, 2014. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Central Ave., Middletown |
|---|---|
| County | Butler County |
| Listed | August 8, 2014 |
| Reference number | 14000480 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899, 1900- |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne, Neoclassical, Italianate, and Jacobethan Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition varies: some houses are in excellent condition, others show poor maintenance, and a few are significantly deteriorated. One apartment building is counted as an intrusion. |
| Acreage | 11.5 |
| Within district | Oakland Residential Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.51384, -84.40182 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 14000480.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives)
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.