Woodland Cemetery Association of Dayton Historic District
Also known as: Woodland Historic Cemetery, Arboretum and Fondation
Why it's listed
Woodland Cemetery occupies 105 historic acres on hilly, ravine-cut ground about one mile south of downtown Dayton, Ohio. The Woodland Cemetery Association was formed in 1841 under John Van Cleve, and the first burial took place in 1843. The grounds later followed Adolph Strauch's Landscape Lawn Plan, with curving drives, small lakes, a fen, and more than 165 labeled tree species. The district counts 25 contributing resources, including mausoleums, monuments, a veterans lot, and outbuildings. At the Woodland Avenue entrance stand the 1889 chapel, office and 1896 gateway, designed by local architects Peters, Burns and Pretzinger in Richardsonian Romanesque style. The chapel interior was redecorated by Tiffany Studios in 1904. Later buildings include a 1929 French Eclectic superintendent's residence and a 1916 comfort station. The district is significant as a preserved example of the rural cemetery movement, with a period of significance from 1841 to 1929, and the cemetery remains in active use.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents Woodland as an early and well-preserved example of the rural cemetery movement, with its landscape lawn plan, lakes, fen, arboretum trees, mausoleums and monuments. It also contains buildings from 1881 to 1929, including the previously listed Richardsonian Romanesque chapel, office and gateway, and the graves of well-known Dayton citizens.
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 11000855, listed November 22, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 118 Woodland Ave., Dayton |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | November 22, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000855 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1841-1929 |
| Architect / builder | Peters, Burns and Pretzinger (chapel, office, gateway, 1889); Albert Pretzinger (comfort station, 1916); landscape plan by Adolph Strauch |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian; Late 19th and early 20th Century Revivals (including Richardsonian Romanesque, Victorian Gothic, French Eclectic, English Tudor) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Art, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still an active cemetery. The 1889 chapel became a sales and counseling office in 1991, with plans to return it to chapel use. The carriage house and stable are used for storage and equipment. |
| Acreage | 105 |
| Coordinates | 39.74364, -84.17402 (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 11000855.
- 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.