The Mutual Home and Savings
Association, which was established in 1873, aimed to raise money to loan to its
members. Mutual initially raised one million dollars capital, but by 1888, that
number increased to ten million. In 1931, the company built the Mutual Home
Building, which was the tallest edifice in Dayton until 1969 when it was
replaced by the Grant-Deneau Tower. The building featured Italian marble,
30-foot high plaster ceilings, and detailed metalwork. It was constructed with
limestone, Black marble, concrete, and steel. The Mutual Home Building was designed
by architects Schenk &amp; Williams, who also designed Hawthorn Hill (home of
Orville Wright and his family) and the Engineers Club of Dayton. 

The interior of the twenty-three-story
building was just as impressive as the outside. It featured a humidification
system that would cool the office space. The elevators were top-of-the-line and
could travel up to 750 feet per minute. The elevator operators were held to
strict codes of conduct to keep an atmosphere of professionalism. Underneath
the structure was a two-story underground garage where attendants could fill up
a car with gas or give it a wash while its owner worked upstairs.

Because the Mutual Home Building
was the tallest in the city, it was used as an air raid lookout in World War
II. Men from the United States Army Signal Corps patrolled the rooftop all day.
After the war, the Hulman family bought the building. In the 1970s, it was
purchased by the Cen-Day Office Company. The building became known as the
Liberty Tower after it was taken over and renovated by Liberty Savings Bank in
1998. Today, Liberty Tower is still mostly occupied, faring better than some
other office buildings in downtown Dayton.

Some scenes from  "The Old Man & the Gun" starring Robert Redford were shot at the Liberty Tower in 2017. Photo by Greg Hume.

Historic photos of the Liberty Tower from Dayton Daily News

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Liberty Tower was originally constructed as the Mutual Home and Savings Association Building in 1931. It was designed to appear modern and professional, with touches such as marble, steel, and some of the latest technology. At 285 feet tall, the building was the tallest in Dayton until 1969. Though it has changed hands and even names since its erection, Liberty Tower still stands as an office space today.

Liberty Tower (Mutual Home and Savings Association Building)

Lincoln's campaign speeches in Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus in 1859 helped propel&nbsp;him to the national stage. Impressed by his Ohio speeches, the Cooper Union in New York City invited him to give a speech to introduce him to the rest of the Republica party. Before that, he was mostly known in the midwest. The party nominated him in May of 1860 and was elected later that year. A statue commemorating his speech and legacy stands just outside the courthouse.

The Old Court House building is one of Dayton's treasured landmarks. It was built in 1847 in the Greek Revival style and as such is the recognized as one of the country's best examples of this style of architecture. Several presidents have campaigned here including Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan. It has been an important focal point for the city, being the location where residents learned about updates during the Civil War (via the telegraph), and during WWII, where bond drives took place. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building can be rented for private events.

Old Court House

The arcade&nbsp;was a major attraction during the first half of the 20th century. It was the place where visitors could buy all kinds of food, including specialty meats, baked goods, flowers, and various luxury items.&nbsp; Like other downtown shopping centers in the country, the arcade (and the downtown) began to decline as people&nbsp;moved to the suburbs. By the mid-1980s, the main arcade building went into bankruptcy and the last tenant left in 1990 (the arcade was renovated in the early 1980s but this failed to&nbsp;attract revive it). After that, the arcade remained vacant and was neglected, which resulted in a lot of damage. Fortunately, it seems that the current owners (the partnership) are indeed going to follow through with their renovations plans.

Built in 1902, the Dayton Arcade is a historic complex of five connected buildings. It is perhaps best known for its ornate facade, which exhibits Renaissance Revival and Dutch architecture and many interesting elements such as oak leaves, ram heads, and garlands of grain. The arcade is also known for its central enclave that is topped by a 90-foot diameter glass dome. It was designed by architect Frank M. Andrews, who designed other buildings in the city. The idea for the arcade originated with Eugene J. Barney of the Barney & Smith Car Company, a railroad company based in Dayton. When it opened, the arcade, was state-of-the-art, featuring a cold storage plant, elevators, and its own power plant. The upper floors were used for housing, office and retail space, and the larger spaces were used for a farmer's market. As of July 2018, plans are in the works to revive the arcade, led by a partnership of three developers. They plan to offer a mix of housing, retail, and public space. An innovation center and a culinary kitchen incubator program will be included as well.  

Dayton Arcade

After his loss to Stephen A.
Douglas in a Senate campaign, Abraham Lincoln began a tour of Ohio. Though he
was only in Dayton for a couple of hours, he delivered a speech that the
community remembers today. Lincoln spoke against slavery, and this speech, along
with others, helped him win the support of his party, leading to his nomination
as a presidential candidate by the GOP. Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican
president on March 4, 1861.

This statue of Abraham Lincoln, sculpted by artist Mike Major, commemorates the speech Lincoln gave near the Old Court House (then only nine years old) on September 17, 1859. The eleven-foot-tall statue stands on a four-foot base and weighs about 1,300 pounds. It was commissioned by the Lincoln Society of Dayton, which raised funds for the bronze statue to be waxed and buffed at least once a year. Major has said that he hopes his statue portrays the “strength, intelligence, control, and perhaps humility and attentiveness” of President Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln Statue (Dayton)

As of 2018, the Grant-Deneau Tower is entirely vacant, though various real estate groups have expressed interest in renovating the property.

Grant-Deneau Tower is a New Formalist and Miesian style building constructed by developers Richard Grant and Paul Deneau in 1969. At the time, it was Dayton’s tallest skyscraper and first modern office tower. Its lobby enclosure was completed in 1979. Because it was built as part of an effort to revitalize downtown Dayton, the Grant-Deneau Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016 despite the customary fifty-year age minimum for historic sites. 

Grant-Deneau Tower

Opened in December 2017, the Funk Music Hall of Fame & Exhibition Center is dedicated to honoring the legacy funk music has played in American culture. It is located in Dayton because this is where the genre originated and where many of Funk's top acts came from, including the Ohio Players, Heatwave, and Slave. The museum features many Funk-related artifacts and memorabilia including outfits and instruments. The museum plans to continue to grow its collection, operate a performance venue, and offer educational outreach programs. An important goal is to teach children how to play instruments and instill in them a love of music and the arts. 

The Funk Music Hall of Fame & Exhibition Center

When settlers arrived in present-day Dayton, local Shawnee chiefs warned them about the valley’s predisposition for torrential flooding. In fact, throughout the 19th century, there were major floods in 1805, 1828, 1866, and 1898; however, none were as devastating and destructive as the Great Dayton Flood of 1913. This flood would later be known as the greatest disaster in Ohio history. <h4>The Miami Valley</h4>
Dayton’s success as a Midwestern settlement in the late 18th century was, in part, due to its abundant resources, fresh water, quality soil, and transport via the several river channels. When settlers first arrived in present-day Dayton after traveling up the Miami River from Cincinnati in 1796, some considered calling the new settlement “Venice” since it stood at the confluence of the Miami River and its tributaries, including the Mad River, Stillwater River, and Wolf Creek. As the Great Miami River watershed led into its tributaries, the area was also known to flood nearly every other decade. Since the founding of Dayton, major floods occurred in 1805, 1828, 1866, and 1898.
<h4>Timeline of the Flood</h4>
The Great Dayton Flood of 1913 was essentially caused by a series of exceptionally strong late-winter storms that hit the entire midwest in late March (causing the so-called Great Flood of 1913 throughout several states). On Good Friday, March 21st, the first storm hit Montgomery County, and though there was little rain, temperatures dropped and high winds blew. By Easter Sunday, torrential rains arrived to the entire Ohio River Valley, and in the next four days, the storm dropped a record-breaking three months of normal rainfall within a four-day span. On Monday, March 24th, the rivers were rising significantly. Due to the cold weather over the weekend and the immense rainfall (8 to 11 inches), the soil became so saturated that 90-percent of rain was running off into the Miami River and its tributaries.
Tuesday morning, police received word that the levees were failing, due to the increased pressure caused by the&nbsp;overflowing rivers. Soon after, the police started the warning sirens and alarms, warning of a coming flood. City Engineer Gaylord Cummin reported that the water was flowing at a rate of nearly 100,000 cubic feet per second, and by 6:00 am that morning, the water flowing over the levees started appearing in downtown Dayton’s streets. Derbies built up under the city bridges held back the water, effectively diverting them into town as well. Then, by 8:00 am on Tuesday, the levees on the south side of the business district failed and heavy amounts of water flooded into the town. Just after lunch that day, the water in the downtown area was 10 feet deep.
People escaped as best they could, though thousands more remained marooned in their homes. The water rushed too fast to permit&nbsp;swimming, and many boats capsized. To escape, some reports showed people walking across power lines. Soon, the water wasn’t the only problem, as opened gas lines caused by the flood took fire and engulfed several blocks in the downtown area. On Wednesday, the water reached a crest of 20-feet and a gas explosion rocked downtown near the intersection of 5th Street and Wilkinson.&nbsp;
Already Governor James M. Cox was calling the National Guard into the flood-affected areas, but they were slow to arrive. Fortunately, founder and president of the National Cash Register Company (NCR), John H. Patterson, had the resources and capabilities to provide immediate relief to flood victims. Soon after the floods arrived, Patterson and NCR employees built over 300 rescue boats to save people from rooftops and the upper stories of buildings. The NCR factory on Stewart Street became a shelter providing food, lodging, and medical care. Other NCR facilities stood as makeshift morgues, temporary campgrounds for the homeless, and newsrooms for journalists and photographers.&nbsp;
<h4>Aftermath</h4>
As the floodwaters retreated, they left unprecedented destruction in their wake. A total of 360 people died, business&nbsp;activity completely stalled, there was a large shortage of food, and upwards of 65,000 people were displaced. The current of the flood caused many buildings to moved off their foundations. Over 20,000 homes, however, were destroyed. Damage was estimated at $100 million.&nbsp;
The Great Dayton Flood empowered citizens and city officials to make immediate changes, determined to never experience a flood of such intensity again. By March 27th, 1913, Governor Cox delegated the Dayton Citizens Relief Commission, which raised $2 million to fund flood control efforts. With more than 50 engineers working with the Morgan Engineering Company, plans were developed to handle 140-percent of the floodwaters from the 1913 flood. Within the following year, Governor Cox began working on the Vonderheide Act, which gave the government the possibility to identify conservancy districts for flood control. Although quite controversial, the subsequent Ohio Conservancy Act formed the Upper Scioto Conservancy District and the Miami Conservancy District.1

This small plaque on the side of the Edwin Smith House in downtown Dayton commemorates the Great Flood of 1913 and illustrates the extent of the flooding in the downtown area. The Great Dayton Flood began on March 21 in 1913, two days before Easter, as late winter storms produced high winds and heavy rains in the area. By Sunday, the soil had become so saturated that it could not absorb more water, caused a 90-percent runoff into the Great Miami River as well as the headwaters of Scioto River and the Muskingum River. 
 
Near 8 to 11 inches of rain fell before Monday, March 24th, and by the next day, the levees failed and about 20 feet of water flooded throughout Downtown Dayton, causing 360 deaths, 20,000 destroyed homes, 65,000 displaced people, and over $100 million in property damage (equivalent to almost $2.4 billion in 2015). The aftermath of the devastation led to the creation of the Miami Conservancy District, one of the first flood control districts that would later serve as a model for Indiana, New Mexico, Colorado, and other states.

Great Dayton Flood Historic Marker

The Victoria Theatre opened on January 1, 1866, as the Turner Opera House. It was constructed by brothers Joseph and William Turner for a total cost of $325,000. A fire in 1869 destroyed all but its façade, so it was rebuilt by new investors in 1871 and renamed the Dayton Music Hall. Over the following decades, the theater’s name changed again to the Grand Opera House in 1900 and the Victoria Theatre two years later. It also welcomed such notable acts as Harry Houdini and actors like Sarah Bernhardt.

The Great Flood of 1913 severely damaged the theater, but it was repaired and reopened as the New Victoria on November 25, 1913. The Victoria did not fare so well after another fire in 1918. It had to be rebuilt again in 1919, this time under the ownership of William A. Keyes as the Victory Theatre. The Victory Theatre showed Warner Brothers movies during the 1940s and focused on Disney films in the 1950s and 1960s. After Keyes’s death in 1955, his family took over the theater.

The Victory Theatre had to close due to financial strains in 1971, and plans were made to demolish it. However, thanks to community support and the “Save the Victory” group, the Victory Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The Victory Theatre Association (founded in 1976) continued to raise money to restore the theater throughout the 1980s. The theater reopened as the Victoria Theatre after a $14.5 million renovation that began in 1988. The Victoria Theatre Association has since raised funds to keep other historic theaters in the area running.

The Victoria Theatre dates back to 1866 when it opened as the Turner Opera House. The theater was rebuilt twice following destructive fires in 1896 and 1918. When the theater reopened in 1919, it was renamed the Victory Theatre in honor of World War I veterans. The Victory operated as a movie theater until it closed in 1970s. Although the Victoria could not compete with the suburban multiplexes, local preservationists saw its potential and worked to prevent its demolition. Thanks to these efforts, the theater was restored in the 1980s and reopened as the Victoria Theater in 1989 as a live performance venue. The theater also shows films on special occasions, including the “Cool Movie Series” in the summers.

Victoria Theatre

The Dayton Movies theater opened on August 22, 1986. Funds for the 300-seat theater came from City-Wide (a non-profit dedicated to the development of Dayton), a city grant, and developer Bill Chronis, totaling $483,000. It was operated by Larry Thomas, Phil Borack, and Norman Barron as a repertory theater that showed classic and independent movies. The opening night feature was a free screening of Gone With the Wind. After just two years, Dayton Movies closed on April 27, 1988. One day later, the theater reopened as the Neon Movies, owned by Bill Chronis and operated by former manager Larry Smith. It was Smith’s idea to screen Martin Scorsese’s controversial The Last Temptation of Christ, which garnered attention from the local press and become the theater’s highest grossing film until it was replaced by The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Also in the spring of 1988, FLICKS, or the Film Lovers Idolizing Klassics Society, was formed. The group chose a lineup of films that followed a particular theme, and the Neon Movies screened them during usually-slow time slots. As the society grew, attendance at the classic movie showings improved. The society also planned events such as costume and cooking contests to boost attendance even further. The series continued during Larry Smith’s absence from 1990 to 1992 when he became the new president of Variety Cinemas, which then operated the theater. Upon his return, Smith started showing 3-D movies, and they became so popular, patrons had to be turned away. However, by 1995 business slowed and FLICKS disbanded.

Another of Smith’s ideas brought the Neon Movies national attention and celebrity guests like Leonard Maltin and Quentin Tarantino: In 1996, the Neon Movies began exhibiting Cinerama films. Cinerama was a 35 mm film process that was achieved by using three cameras, one in front and two on either side, to film a movie’s action. The three sets of films were then projected side-by-side to achieve a peripheral perspective that had six times as much area as a standard 35 mm film and was twenty-five times sharper in focus. John Harvey, a Dayton projectionist who first saw Cinerama in action in 1953, constructed a Cinerama theater in his house. Larry Smith brought film students from Wright State University to watch Cinerama films in Harvey’s home. The two then began to formulate how they could bring Cinerama to the Neon.

Plans were being made in 1996 to split the theater’s auditorium in two, so Smith had to prove quickly that audiences would support the installation of Cinerama technology. After receiving over 2,000 letters and encouraging words from critic Leonard Maltin and actor James Stewart, the project was greenlighted. After months of work, John Harvey set up the projection booth and enlisted the help of four other men to help him run it. Visitors from around the world lined up for what would be the first screening of This is Cinerama in over thirty-two years. Though it was intended to be a temporary exhibition, Cinerama was used in the Neon for another three years.

Larry Smith left the New Neon Movies in 1998 (it had been renamed after a change of ownership in 1993). Another employee then took over the managerial duties. Three years later, the theater changed ownership again and closed for a brief time for renovations that included updates and splitting the auditorium into two theaters. After another brief closure, the Neon reopened on September 23, 2016.

The Neon Movies, originally named the Dayton Movies, was built in 1986. It was the first theater to be built in downtown Dayton since 1922 and was the first downtown theater built in a major U. S. city in over twenty years. The Dayton Movies closed in 1988, but it reopened just a day later as the Neon Movies. Since then, the theater has changed ownership multiple times and has been renamed the New Neon Movies. The theater attracted national attention on two occasions: once in 1996 when it was fitted with Cinerama technology, and again when actress Allison Janney, a Dayton native, tweeted about it after winning an Oscar for her role in “I, Tonya.”

The Neon Movies

The Biltmore Hotel was constructed on the eve of the Great Depression in 1929. It was designed by architect Frederick Hughes in the Second Renaissance Revival style. Though its splendor has long since faded, it remains one of the tallest buildings in Dayton and was considered one of the finest hotels in America. It hosted some of the nation’s most famous celebrities from John F. Kennedy to Elvis Presley. Today, it is home to 230 apartments for senior citizens. 

Dayton Walking Tour

Liberty Tower (Mutual Home and Savings Association Building)

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information