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| Five Oaks   orth of the Great Miami River between Salem and Forest Avenues is the neighborhood of Five Oaks. For many years known as part of Dayton View, Five Oaks took its present name from the estate of Jeremiah Hunt Peirce, who named his 1854 mansion for “five stately oak trees” on the grounds. The rural nineteenth century landscape became prime development land at the turn of the century as Daytonians moved out from the center city to make their homes in the new suburbs on the city’s edge. By the 1920’s the grand estates, farms and orchards had given way to the stylish homes of the city’s business and professional classes. Like most suburbs of the era, Five Oaks was a walking neighborhood. People walked everywhere: to the small family-owned groceries which dotted the neighborhood, to the shops in the bustling commercial district on Salem Avenue, or to attend services at one of the many churches. Children attended nearby Van Cleve or Corpus Christi Schools. The parks and lawns of this green suburb afforded ample space for recreation for the many young families in the Five Oaks area. In winter, children congregated on the sledding hill where Corpus Christi Recreation Center now stands and on hot summer days fought the heat with popsicles purchased at neighborhood drug stores. From the beginning, Five Oaks always had a certain diversity. Protestants, Catholics and Jews, Germans, Irish, Greeks and Italians came together to become part of this close-knit neighborhood. This diversity broadened in the 1960’s and 1970’s, when African Americans from West Dayton and Southern Dayton View moved into the neighborhood. Today, Five Oaks is Dayton’s most diverse neighborhood, representing a wide range of nationalities, cultures, races, religions, generations, and incomes. Five Oaks has a long tradition of resident participation in neighborhood affairs. From the Five Oaks Neighborhood Association of the 1960’s to the present Five Oaks Neighborhood Improvement Association (1979), the neighborhood has shown a commitment to work through urban challenges. Housing has always been a major focus of the Five Oaks Neighborhood Improvement Association (NIA). In the 1970’s, the rapid growth of rental properties and absentee landlords caused the deterioration of Five Oaks’ housing stock and community spirit. In 1979, the newly created Five Oaks NIA took steps to stem the tide, including development of a Housing Code which was adopted by the City for all neighborhoods and the creation of the Five Oaks newsletter and distribution network (serving 2000 households). Despite efforts, housing declined in the early 1980’s. Realizing the need for effective action, Five Oaks’ leadership set up a Resident Planning Committee and worked with Dayton city planners to develop the city’s first neighborhood strategic plan. The Strategic Plan of 1985 focused on improving the condition of housing stock, increasing home ownership and owner-occupied doubles, strengthening the sense of community, and marketing the neighborhood. But conditions worsened between 1985 and 1991 as crack cocaine became a serious problem in all urban neighborhoods. An increase in “cut-through traffic” and crime threatened the future of the Five Oaks neighborhood. In 1990, the Five Oaks NIA Board realized that they must revise the 1985 plan to meet these new challenges. Endorsing the concept of Community-Based Policing, which was designed to rekindle a partnership between police officers and residents, Five Oaks became one of the first neighborhoods to get a community-based police officer. The Board also adopted the concept of Defensible Space developed by nationally known planner Oscar Newman. Through the use of a system of gates on streets and alleys, the Defensible Space Plan would divide the neighborhood into mini-neighborhoods, reducing drive-through traffic and criminal activity. The resulting 1992 Five Oaks Neighborhood Stabilization Plan combined Defensible Space with the new strategic plan into a five-part long-term program that is still being implemented today. The Defensible Space Plan, one of the most controversial activities ever attempted by a neighborhood, became Dayton’s largest grassroots effort as hundreds of meetings were held to bring about resident understanding and consensus. It also attracted the most attention, as local, state, national, and even international media became fascinated by this new approach to preserving the quality of life in an urban neighborhood. By spring of 1992, the plan had been approved and by late fall the gate and alley closures were completed. Today, Five Oaks continues its commitment to the diverse urban community and to meeting the challenge of learning how to live together while respecting and appreciating each other’s differences. A work-in-progress, committed residents continue to plan and implement their blueprint to make Five Oaks the model urban neighborhood of the twenty-first century. Points of Interest in Five Oaks 
NORTHMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
301 Forest Avenue. This beautiful Dayton landmark, designed and built
by local craftsmen in 1902, is distinctive for its red variegated
sandstone and Tiffany Art Glass windows. Northminster Presbyterian
was organized in the 1880’s as the Riverdale Presbyterian Church.
During the 1913 flood, the church offered shelter to victims who were
brought by boat to the top steps of the Grand Avenue entrance. The
congregation took its present name in 1969, when it merged with the
Northmor Presbyterian Church. Northminster Church continues to develop
an expanded role in the neighborhood today, promoting community redevelopment
and offering outreach programs for children and adults.
GRANDVIEW HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL CENTER,
405 West Grand Avenue. Founded in 1926, Grandview’s first location
was a private residence at 325 Second Street which was converted into
a ten-bed hospital. In the early days, patients were charged five
dollars a day for room, medication, medical treatment and meals. Today,
Grandview has expanded to become the nation’s third largest osteopathic
hospital.
SECOND CHURCH OF CHRIST SCIENTIST,
720 Belmonte Park North. Organized December 27, 1905 as a branch of
the mother church, the congregation met at a variety of downtown locations
until the purchase of the property at the corner of Grand and Belmont
Avenues. Construction of the present building began in 1918 and was
completed in 1924. This elegant Neo-Classical style building was designed
by noted Dayton architects, Schenck & Williams.
FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH,
665 Salem Avenue. In March 1910, a group of Christians met with the
purpose of forming a value-based, non-dogmatic congregation of worship.
Established as the First Unitarian, they met for a time at the Young
Women’s League Hall on West Fourth Street. The need for new space
led to the purchase of land at Salem and Neal Avenues. Designed by
Dayton architect, Robert Dexter, the rustic Craftsman style building
was completed in 1914.
FAITH UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST,
200 Delaware Avenue. In 1918, Rebecca and Martha Roney gave a portion
of their farm at Delaware Avenue and Main Street for a new church
in the growing northern neighborhood. The small group of worshipers
purchased a “portable chapel” from Sears & Roebuck in
which to hold services. Three years later, construction on the present
building began and was named Hale Memorial Reformed Church in memory
of one of the church’s founders. It became a United Church of Christ
in 1957.
PENNY-OHLMANN-NEIMAN, INC.,
1605 North Main Street. The firm was founded in 1949 as Penny &
Penny by Robert and Jean Penny. Originally located on Salem Avenue,
it moved to its North Main Street location in the late 1960’s.
Walter Ohlmann joined the firm in 1964 and Ralph Neiman in 1969. One
of the city’s premier advertising, Penny-Ohlmann-Neiman is committed
to the Dayton area, contributing financial support and services to
many community efforts.
CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH AND SCHOOL,
529 Forest Avenue. Established on March 19, 1911, the new congregation
began to hold Mass in the commercial building on the point at Main
Street and Forest Avenue. The present Spanish Mission style building
was dedicated December 24, 1911. Designed by architect William E.
Russ, it is said to have been “the only structure of its style
in this section of the country,” and was chosen “to break
away from the stereotyped forms of church architecture.” The
school building was erected in 1912 and Corpus Christi Recreational
Center was constructed in 1956.
DAYTON CHRISTIAN SCHOOL/JULIENNE HIGH SCHOOL,
325 Homewood Avenue. The complex which houses Dayton Christian Schools
has a rich history of educational excellence. Its story began in 1849
when five Sisters of Notre Dame came to Dayton from Cincinnati and
opened Notre Dame Academy, a select school for girls. Enrollment increased,
and in 1923 they purchased a 14-acre estate from the Kuntz family,
of PK Lumber fame, on Homewood and Forest Avenues. The house, called
the “Old Barney Homestead” after its original owner, Edward
E. Barney, was renamed “Villa Julienne” by the Sisters,
who used it as a temporary convent until the present building was
completed in 1927. Julienne High School became one of Dayton’s superior
educational institutions. In 1973, Julienne merged with Chaminade,
an all-boys school, to become the co-educational Chaminade-Julienne
High School. The former Julienne complex was purchased by a non-denominational
group of Christians, led by Bud Schindler, who opened Dayton Christian
Schools in 1976.
FIVE OAKS PARK, FIVE OAKS AVENUE,
was once part of the large Five Oaks estate of Jeremiah Hunt Peirce,
son of one of the first settlers of Dayton. The Peirce mansion, home
to Peirce descendants until the 1930’s, was also known to local
residents as “The Castle on the Hill” after the tower which
was added in 1890. In 1946, the estate was purchased by the City for
a municipal park and the mansion was razed. Today, members of Five
Oaks Neighborhood Improvement Association are working to renovate
the park which includes ball diamonds, a pavilion, and swimming pool.
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 Family
picnic in Five Oaks, July 1939. (Courtesy of Beth (Anderton) Kavanaugh) |
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