Steele's Hill-Grafton Hill Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Also known as: Belmonte Park Historic District; Grafton Hill Historic District
No coordinates published for this listing.
Why it's listed
Grafton Hill is a residential neighborhood in Dayton, Ohio, on the rise once called Steele's Hill and platted in 1875 as Belmonte Park by farm implement manufacturer John Stoddard. About 120 houses, shaded by large maples and often paired with rear carriage houses, display Queen Anne, Tudor Revival, Neo-classic and Craftsman designs. Other buildings include Longfellow School from 1882, Northminster Presbyterian Church from 1902, the terra cotta Miller Building and Delux Apartments from 1926, several early 1920s apartment blocks, the Dayton Art Institute and the Masonic Temple. The district was listed because its houses are among the finest of their styles in the city and remain remarkably intact. It also records Dayton's earliest successful suburban growth north of the Miami River, built for manufacturers, executives and professionals. The elevated site stayed attractive after the 1913 flood, and the neighborhood remained prestigious until a decline in the 1950s.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is architecturally significant for its high-style Queen Anne, Tudor Revival, Neo-classic and Craftsman houses, many among the finest of their kind in Dayton and highly intact. It is historically significant as part of Dayton's first successful suburban expansion north across the river, developed by and for rising professionals and business leaders. The Dayton Art Institute and Masonic Temple reinforced its prominence.
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 100009613, listed December 18, 2023. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Grand, Plymouth, Forest, and Salem, Dayton |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | December 18, 2023 |
| Reference number | 100009613 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1880-1925 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne, Tudor Revival (Jacobethan), Neo-classic, Craftsman |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as largely unaltered and in excellent to good condition, with a few modern intrusions; the district declined in the 1950s and has an active neighborhood association. |
| Acreage | 111.44 |
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 100009613.
- 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.