Saint Anne's Hill Historic District
Also known as: See Also:Bossler, Marcus, House
Why it's listed
St. Anne's Hill is a fourteen-block neighborhood of about 200 buildings just east of downtown Dayton, Ohio. Wide streets and large shade trees frame a mix of houses built mostly between 1860 and the early twentieth century. Roughly 40 percent are wood or brick folk-type dwellings with Eastlake porches, and about 30 percent are small cottages. Larger homes show Second Empire, Gothic, Romanesque and Queen Anne influences, including the Bossler Mansion and the Jacob Joyce House. Three large churches, a Fifth Street commercial strip of about 25 buildings from around 1880, and the Odd Fellows Lodge complete the neighborhood. The district was platted from 1845 and grew after the Miami-Erie Canal reached Dayton, drawing German immigrant workers, tradesmen and prominent German citizens. It is presented as Dayton's best and most intact German ethnic neighborhood and one of the city's few intact areas of late nineteenth century vernacular housing. It became a locally designated district in 1974.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is an excellent, highly intact grouping of mostly vernacular houses with high style detailing. It also holds the best examples of some styles in the city, such as the Bossler Mansion. It is described as Dayton's best and most intact German ethnic neighborhood, tied to people who shaped the city's settlement and its commercial and industrial growth.
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 86001214, listed June 5, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Fourth, McClure, Josie, and High and Dutoit Sts., Dayton |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | June 5, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001214 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1860-1915 |
| Architectural style | Predominantly vernacular (folk-type and cottage) dwellings with Italianate, Gothic Revival, Romanesque, Second Empire and Queen Anne influences |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | European, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition and occupied, mostly single-family houses with some converted to multi-family use. Few modern alterations; about 15% of houses have been sided; seven modern intrusions. The Odd Fellows building is no longer in use. |
| Acreage | 50 |
| Coordinates | 39.75727, -84.17381 (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 86001214.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7400956
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.