“God is good, and he blessed me with the situation with the gun charge in Greene County,” he said. “It really changed my life. It made me super intentional about every single decision that I made. After experiencing the justice system from one side of it, and coming out and doing great, I knew that I wanted to pursue being a police officer.”
Perdue went on to get a degree from Wilberforce University and moved his way up the ranks of the Dayton Police Department to his current position as a polygraph detective. In 2009, he started the fitness group called The Unit, which, hosts free boot camp-style classes. He said working out helped to boost his confidence in other aspects of his life.
In the early 2000s, Perdue began buying properties and fixing them up. Some he would rent and some he would flip. When the home on Huffman popped up on realtor.com in 2023, he thought he could do something special with it.
“I’m looking at the photos, and I went to check it out,” he said. “I can do some really nice, small, intimate events here. And my business partner was out of town, and he couldn’t stop me. I bought the property.”
When Perdue bought the home, it was nothing but frames. He had to remove much of the plaster and take down some walls. He had to put in new plumbing and electrical. All the floors had to be refinished. The property was heavily gutted, but Perdue was drawn to the charm and interesting features the home had.
“The architecture,” he said. “I’m really into industrial buildings that have been converted. Those are my favorite. Probably, my second favorite are these historic homes. I love the woodwork. I love the size and all the details that were put into the property.”
The land was owned by William Huffman. In 1873, he gave the land to his daughter Lydia Hedges. According to county records, the land was given “in consideration for the love and affection he [Huffman] has for his daughter.” He also gave land to his other daughter Lizzie Huffman the same day.
Hedges sold the land to Jacob Laymon, who built the home in 1898. The home was built with a distinctive tower, a limestone porch foundation and intricate bracketed cornices. The home is around 5,000 square feet and has now been turned into The Huffman Black by Perdue.
The Huffman Black is a bed and breakfast that has multiple spaces that can be rented. There are five bedrooms, five bathrooms and two bars. There’s also an outdoor space. The rooms are all uniquely decorated, many having themes such as “the pink room.” All the designs were done by Amy Carroll of AC Design.
“History paired with modern,” he said. “We have all the historic style and the old school vibe just tied in with new charms. We wanted to preserve, hold on to the authentic, old, historic home but bring out some new qualities.”
Currently, Perdue is working on a third bar or the speakeasy, where he plans to have a bourbon bar. He also wants to eventually retire from the police department to focus on new business ventures, including making the Huffman Black the best it can be. He would also love to do historic tours around Dayton and partner with businesses and restaurants.
“I would like to be part of the people who draw tourists to Dayton,” he said. “Let’s go down to Dayton, Ohio and see these wonderful homes and end our tour here. Maybe some historic paintings upstairs, a band in the backyard, get cigars … or even end at a restaurant. Just some reason to book this trip to go see Dayton, Ohio.”
For more information about the Huffman Black, visit www.thehuffmanblack.com.
About the Author