West Third Street Historic District
Also known as: See Also:Wright Cylce Company Shop
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Why it's listed
This three-block commercial strip on West Third Street in Dayton, Ohio, grew up as one of the city's earliest streetcar suburbs, beginning in 1869. Its 28 contributing buildings are mostly two- and three-story brick blocks from 1885 to 1924, with stores at street level and offices or apartments above. Styles include High Victorian Italianate, commercial Romanesque Revival, Georgian Revival and Neo-classical Revival, with the Walters Block as the standout example. The district matters for its link to Wilbur and Orville Wright, who ran printing and bicycle businesses here. Their Wright Cycle Company building on South Williams Street is where their aviation experiments began, and the 1903 airplane was invented at 1127 West Third Street, a building later moved to Greenfield Village. Poet Paul Laurence Dunbar also grew up nearby. Demolition and fire have left gaps, and the 1200 block was excluded for that reason, but the remaining buildings still convey the character of an early streetcar commercial block.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues significance under Criterion B for ties to Orville and Wilbur Wright, whose printing and bicycle shops stood in the district and where they began aviation experiments. It also cites Criterion C for a cohesive group of late 19th and early 20th century commercial buildings in Romanesque Revival, Italianate and Neo-classical styles. A later addendum also notes an association with poet Paul Laurence Dunbar.
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 88003194, listed January 25, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly W. Third St. between Broadway and Shannon St., Dayton |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | January 25, 1989 |
| Reference number | 88003194 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1885-1924 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Italianate, Romanesque, Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Invention |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Some buildings are altered or lost to demolition and fire. The Midget Theater storefronts are described in an addendum as abandoned, and the Hoover Block is slated for rehabilitation as an aviation museum. |
| Acreage | 10.1 |
| Coordinates | 39.75574, -84.21199 (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 88003194.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q49579115
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.