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Spectators line the streets to watch buildings move

Area history group transports 4 locally significant structures to new location.

Hundreds enjoy watching historic houses move to Carillon

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By Jill Kelley, Staff Writer 8:52 PM Sunday, July 12, 2009

Spectators along the streets of Kettering, Moraine and Dayton on Sunday, July 12, were privy to a scene they won’t soon forget.

Not only were four big pieces of local history forming their own traveling museum before their eyes, but the effort itself was historic.

“I can’t think of any other move that included four historic buildings in the Midwest,” said Brady Kress, executive director of Dayton History.

The buildings — the Deeds Barn, the Miller House, the Newcom-Greer House and the Hetzel House — were driven from the Kettering-Moraine Museum, on Moraine Circle in Kettering, to the Dayton History-run Carillon Historical Park in Dayton.

The move started at 9 a.m. and reached the park a little after 1 p.m.

Hundreds of people were gathered at various locations along the route.

“This is a real party,” said Roxanne Hemmelgarn of Kettering. “I called two of my friends and said this is the place to be today.”

Kress said even the timing of the move had significance.

“What’s really neat about this lead building (the Deeds Barn) is that it was (practically) this week 100 years ago that DELCO was incorporated upstairs in this barn with the invention of the modern ignition system and self-starter engine. It was July 21, 1909.”

“It is like Col. (Edward) Deeds and Charles Kettering are looking down on us and saying this is when you are doing this,” he said.

Alex Heckman, director of museum operations, said the original Deeds Barn will be a great complement to the replica of the structure the museum already had.

“The Deeds story is as crucial and significant to the area as the Wright brothers’ story.”

To many, the move was positive for the Dayton area.

Rus Kindrick, who lived in the Newcom-Greer House from the mid-1960s to the late ’70s, said he moved from Dayton largely because the downtown was being torn apart.

The longtime preservationist said he couldn’t be more pleased with Sunday’s effort.

“It’s just a tremendous community support,” he said.

Elise Hafenbrack, director of community development for Dayton History, said the organization’s endeavor included the work and coordination of the cities and police departments of Kettering, Moraine and Dayton; DP&L; Time Warner Cable; AT&T; Cincinnati Bell; Capital Electric Line Builders; and Edwards Moving & Rigging Inc.

Steve Kendig, with DP&L, said the traffic signals were the toughest part of the move.

“But it all worked really well,” he said. “It was well organized.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-

7325

jikelley

@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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