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Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2009 > September > 04 > Entry
Guest column: Heritage Awards recognize work of Shifflers, McCarren
This column was written by Kenneth J. Kuntz, professor emeritus at the University of Dayton and a member of the Dayton History Preservation Advisory Council. Send e-mail to him at kenneth.kuntz@notes.udayton.edu.
This summer, Dayton History presented its annual Heritage Awards. This column was adapted from remarks about the winners. First up: The Kuhns and McCrory buildings.
Kuhns and McCrory buildings
It would be difficult to identify any square block that is more important in the revitalization of downtown Dayton than the one bordered by Fourth, Ludlow, Third and Main streets. That block harbors the Arcade, and it would be difficult to find any corner more central to that revitalization than the corner of Fourth and Main streets.
In 1883, on the corner of Fourth and Main, the Kuhns building, a majestic structure of the Romanesque style, was opened. Over the next many decades, it was home to a wide variety of commercial and office occupants.
In the early 1980s, the building had its first major renovation when the Chemineer company established its headquarters there.
A score of years passed before the building’s second restoration began. With Robert and Nancy Shiffler as developers, the remarkable brickwork of the building, typical of Romanesque architecture, was cleaned and restored.
Inside, the lobby is graced with magnificent murals. The ceiling is adorned with elaborate crown molding and lighted by elegant chandeliers. The restoration continues throughout the upper floors, where workers patiently restored vaulted ceilings, ornate moldings and walnut paneling.
The restoration was done to preserve the architecture of the past, while providing upscale office space like none other available in downtown. The results are stunning, and the building is fully occupied.
When the work of the Kuhns Building was finished, the Shifflers turned their attention to the neighboring McCrory Building that dates to the 1920s and is in the popular Art Deco style of that day. The recent restoration preserves the ceramic facade of the building and stands as an excellent example of the ornate ceramic facades of that era. Someone once said, “There is nothing lonelier than an envelope that has a stamp on it, and no address.”
Nancy and Bob Shiffler found such an envelope, and wrote an address on it — Fourth and Main Streets, Dayton, Ohio 45402 — and then mailed it to future generations.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Lucy McCarren
Harveysburg is a small village 20 miles southeast of Dayton that has a rich history, but requires a person dedicated to preserving its heritage. For Harveysburg, that person is Lucy McCarren.
Lucy’s record for preserving the history of her community is a litany of accomplishments, with the preservation of the Free Black School, the first in Ohio and the Northwest Territory, foremost among them.
On Jan. 2, 1829, the Quaker Village of Harveysburg was established. Important in the development of the village and the history of education in our country were Dr. Jesse Harvey and his wife Elizabeth.
Dr. Harvey set up a medical practice and built a seminary to educate white children. Elizabeth saw a need to educate black children, so together they built a school in 1831 to educate nonwhite children.
The school remained in session for 78 years until 1909, when black children were integrated into the local township school.
In 1976, an effort began to acquire and restore the school house. Through Lucy’s leadership, members of the community signed a bank note for the purchase of the land and building. When the note was retired, energy was focused on restoring the school and converting it to a local museum.
This unpretentious school house in Harveysburg is so much more than just bricks and mortar. It is a strand in the DNA of an entire race that links the passage of that race from addresses like 23 North St., Harveysburg, Ohio, to addresses like 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C.
For her many preservation efforts and her firm belief that “a school is a building that has four walls — with tomorrow inside,” Dayton History presented its 2009 Lifetime Achievement Heritage Award to Lucy McCarren.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Guest Columns, Local History
Comments
By Concerned
September 7, 2009 5:26 PM | Link to this
Why does the auditor show the taxes to be delinquent on the Shiffler properties.