Lavoie was living in a home in Walnut Hills when he started the renovations at his new home. The home needed some care as it had old mint green carpet and old wallpaper throughout the home. It obviously hadn’t been taken care of, and Lavoie was ready to jump into renovations. He moved into the home in 2022.
Since moving in, Lavoie has done an abundance of renovations including, painting the interior and exterior, removing aluminum siding, converting a back porch into a laundry room, installing railings, fixing plaster, refinishing the kitchen and installing new electric. Lavoie has done most of these renovations on his own.
“I’m a nurse,” Lavoie said. “I’ve never had any professional training. I just watch YouTube videos.”
Lavoie grew up in Massachusetts and his father is a woodworker just for pleasure. His father put in the front porch and also created many items that are now on display in the home. Lavoie said he hopes that the work he is doing in the home will show others just how rewarding it can be to restore an old home.
“I don’t have a million dollars,” Lavoie said. “But then three years later, look at everything that has been done. I kind of wanted to be an inspiration for people that were wanting to live in this neighborhood. Because I feel like with all these houses, once they’re gone, they’re gone.”
The home was built sometime between 1907 and 1910 by William J. Aull. His father co-founded Aull Brothers Paper and Box Company in 1883. Also, his uncle, John W. Aull, established the Aullwood Center and Farm in North Dayton.
During this time, the trend of Queen Anne homes was beginning to fade. The home built by Aull combined many different styles of the time including colonial revival style and the Georgian and federal houses of the American colonies. The home is the traditional Foursquare style, four rooms in a square, but has a classical front porch with columns and a three-sided bay window.
The home was sold to John and Mary McGregor. The McGregor family were part of the Memorial Presbyterian Church. John died in 1913 and his wife died five years later. His children, John and Sarah, lived in the home until 1937 and 1948, respectively. Neither child ever married.
Inside Lavoie has filled the home with unique pieces he’s found from flea markets and yard sales. He also has refinished some of the old furniture himself, again with the help of YouTube. Lavoie said his style is a combination of old and new
“I really like original pieces, and not like IKEA stuff,” Lavoie said. “I mean, how many people have a stuffed fox in their [living room]? Not everybody.”
As president of Preservation Dayton, Lavoie is in charge of the meetings, steering the board in the best direction and fundraising. He is also the Dayton View Historic District member of Preservation Dayton. The group is dedicated to promoting historic preservation and helping the historic districts in the area.
“We all say in Preservation Dayton that we’re all insane,” Lavoie said. “I guess it’s not really insane. We’re just willing to take the risk because that’s the only way to save these houses. Otherwise, they would all just fall down. Some stuff should be torn down, but a lot of things can be saved.”
Preservation Dayton will have a fundraiser 2-10 p.m. July 28 at Old Scratch Pizza at 812 S. Patterson Blvd. Ten percent of all sales will go to Preservation Dayton.
The group also has walking tours of downtown scheduled throughout the summer.
Currently, Lavoie is working on building a brick patio in his backyard, all by himself. He wants to eventually turn the attic into a living area, and any other restorations he might see fit. Lavoie said that he has difficulty when he doesn’t have something to do.
“I work three days a week [as a nurse],” Lavoie said. “The other days I’m usually working on a project. I don’t like sitting still. I like to stay busy.”
For more on Preservation Dayton, visit www.preservationdayton.com.
HISTORICAL HOMES FEATURE
“Timeless Dayton” takes a look at historical homes in the region. The Dayton Daily News wants to share stories of historic homes and the journeys of restoration. Reach out to Reporter Jessica Graue at jessica.graue@coxinc.com.
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