Deeds' Barn
Why it's listed
Originally a carriage house behind 319 Central Avenue in Dayton, this two-story wood frame barn measures 58 by 28 feet. Between 1908 and 1912 it served as a laboratory and machine shop for Edward A. Deeds and Charles F. Kettering. The loft held the machine shop and drafting room, and the ground floor, with a concrete slab, was a testing laboratory. Here Kettering developed an electric ignition system, and after Cadillac contracted for 5,000 ignition sets, the partners formed the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (DELCO). Twelve assistants known as the Barn Gang worked in the building. The first self-starter tests took place on September 2, 1910, and a complete starter system was tried on a Cadillac on February 16, 1911. The barn was moved in 1962 to Prugh Park and again in 1973 to land donated by the City of Kettering. It now serves as an industrial museum and still has its pilastered facade, hipped wall dormers and tall brick chimney.
Significance in brief: The barn housed the experiments that led to the invention and improvement of the electric ignition system and the automobile self-starter. It was the original home of the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (DELCO), founded by Edward A. Deeds and Charles F. Kettering. The form describes these inventions as an important advance in automobile development.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79001904, listed December 4, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 35 Moraine Circle South, Kettering |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | December 4, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001904 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific dates 1908-1912 in the earlier form) |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Engineering, Invention |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently maintained by the Kettering and Moraine Historical Society as an industrial museum; moved in 1962 and again in 1973, with a new roof, concrete slab and window panes at the current site. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 39.69707, -84.21445 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 79001904.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.