McPherson Town Historic District
Why it's listed
McPherson Town is a compact residential neighborhood of about 96 buildings on the north bank of the Great Miami River, just across the Main Street Bridge from downtown Dayton. Platted in 1845 by Samuel McPherson and annexed to Dayton in 1868, it filled in mostly during the last quarter of the nineteenth century. A levee built in 1897 and the filling of the Dayton View Hydraulic in 1906 eased flooding fears, and middle-class families replaced early structures with larger Queen Anne and Eastlake homes. Streetscapes include Stick Style houses, brick Victorian vernacular dwellings, and the 1886 Hawthorne School, noted for fine brickwork. Early twentieth-century additions include the Floral Terrace townhouses of about 1912 and the Spanish Colonial Revival El-Morado Apartments of 1924. The neighborhood was badly damaged by the 1913 flood but recovered. Only six later buildings intrude on its historic character, and the district was listed for its architecture.
Significance in brief: The district is recognized under Criterion C for architecture. Its streets preserve a largely intact collection of Eastlake, Stick and Queen Anne houses from the late nineteenth century, along with Hawthorne School and early twentieth-century apartment buildings. Its growth was tied to the Great Miami River and to flood protection works that made the area attractive to Dayton's middle class.
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 88001712, listed September 29, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Main St., Great Miami River, and I-75, Dayton |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | September 29, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88001712 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1868 - 1924 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne; Stick/Eastlake |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current functions are single and multiple dwellings. Six later buildings are classed as intrusions, and one house on Floral Avenue is described as dilapidated. |
| Acreage | 67 |
| Coordinates | 39.76757, -84.19619 (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 88001712.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6802607
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.