Uptown Oxford

Uptown Oxford consists of the four-block length of High Street from Campus Avenue to South Beech Street, with some alley businesses included. Bruno's Pizza (often mentioned by African American alumni as a favorite spot), Miami-Western Theatre, Wendy's, and Black churches of Oxford were, and remain, mainstays of student experiences at Miami University. Uptown Oxford is often as important as on-campus student life and provided African American students with recreational and social experiences that were foundational in their college life. And, Uptown Oxford offered a place for students to gather off-campus.

For Miami students, the bars, restaurants, and shops located “Uptown,” a nickname for High Street, play an integral role in student experiences. Famous for its food and social scene is the Italian restaurant, Bruno’s Pizza, which opened in 1963 and is known for its delicious and affordable food. Owner Frank Gross has claimed that 70% of the restaurant’s business has come from Miami students ordering pizza, spaghetti, and sandwiches. When Oxford’s Green Beer Day started in 1982 many students lined up outside of the store as early as 5:00 A.M. to grab a slice of sausage and egg pizza. Students even attempted to make their mark outside of the business during an anti-war demonstration during the 1969 Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam.

While Bruno’s still remains in business today, other popular Uptown sites, like the Miami-Western Theatre, were not as fortunate. The building, built with Art Deco-inspired architecture in 1938, was located on 36 East High Street and named after Miami’s Western College for Women, as many of its students frequented the theatre. The business would remain open until 1988. After its 50-year run, the Miami-Western Theatre closed to become First Run in 1993. In 2004 the bar became Brick Street Bar and Grill, one of the most popular bars for nightlife in Oxford today.

1984’s Little Sibs Weekend at Miami coincided with the opening of a Wendy’s restaurant in Oxford. The opening was a success, as it was noted by student journalists in The Miami Student that “Hungry Miamians and their sibs could be seen waiting in lines that stretched all the way out to High Street.” 

For many African American students, the various churches in Oxford acted as a haven from the rest of the community. On 14 South Beech Street in 1857, the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church purchased Oxford’s first historically Black church. The church expanded multiple times until 1981. The church was initially built by Joel Collins in 1855 and was later sold to the Trustees of the Bethel congregation. One of its early pastors was the first Black American to serve in congress named Hiram Revels. On 14 East Vine St, in 1865, a group of African Americans organized the First Baptist Church of Oxford. Its services were initially held in a schoolhouse, however later in 1892, an Oxford citizen named Dr. Alexander Guy deeded two lots of land to the church. The church remained at that location until 2006 until they constructed a new church on Ringwood Rd. Now located on 300 W. Withrow St, the Elm Street Christian Church is the second oldest of their denomination in Ohio. Organized in 1863, the Church was very small when it was originally created and held its services in the home of Mrs. Gidding. In 1881, the congregation used Mrs. Gidding’s land to build an actual Church, however, in 1952 the Church sadly burned down. Over the next four years, during the time the new church was being constructed, the Elm Street Christian Church fundraised and conducted joint services with the First Baptist Church. 

Hillenmeyer, Kathleen. “22 More People Charged in Second MU Melee.” The Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 May 1998, www.enquirer.com/editions/1998/05/10/oxfordfolo.html.

“Uptown Student Disturbances.” Miami University of Ohio, May 1998, www.muohio.edu/NEWSBUREAU/pressreleases/may98/uptown.html.