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Westwood   ocated toward the western edge of the city of Dayton is the neighborhood of Westwood. Promoted in the early twentieth century as “The Plat in the City,” it attracted both city and country dwellers, who were drawn by the opportunity to own a modest but modern home in Dayton’s newest suburb. Streetcar lines to all parts of the city and an affordable five cent fare allowed the workingman the luxury of suburban life, away from the noise and dirt of the center city. The neighborhood’s location close to industries such as Dayton Tire & Rubber, Inland Corporation, and Dayton Malleable Iron Works offered stable and convenient employment to many Westwood residents. In the 1950’s and 1960’s, the neighborhood became home to increasing numbers of African Americans, who were attracted by opportunities for first-time homeownership in the Westwood community. Dayton’s black population, which had been growing steadily throughout the twentieth century, greatly increased during World War II, when many arrived as part of the large work force who came to find jobs in the city’s booming defense industries. The sudden presence of so many newcomers challenged city services and strained housing capabilities. Even after the war, housing remained at a premium, particularly for African Americans. By the 1950’s changing residential opportunities at last made it possible for blacks to purchase homes in Westwood. The construction of I-75, which cut through the older West Side, hastened the movement of African Americans into Westwood and adjacent neighborhoods. By the late 1960’s, the neighborhood had become predominantly African American. Many well-established African American organizations and institutions followed the black community’s move to the city’s West Side. Churches such as Wayman A.M.E., First Wesleyan Church and Shiloh Baptist Church relocated to Westwood in the 1960’s, joining earlier churches such as Westwood Lutheran Church and Resurrection Catholic Church in serving the community. New organizations also grew up to meet the changing needs of Westwood’s residents. The West Dayton Area Council, organized in 1960, worked with Westwood and neighboring areas to promote community involvement. Wesley Community Center, established in 1966, and Westwood Center, opened in 1979, offered residents a wide variety of multi-generational activities and programs. Area residents organized block clubs to address local needs and concerns. Today, Westwood remains a vital place to live. It is, in the words of long time resident Curtis Barnes, “one of those mature neighborhoods that reflects a broad sense of well-being, despite change.” To older residents and to those new to Westwood, it is a family-centered neighborhood where people come together to build and strengthen the bonds of community. Points of Interest in Westwood 
RESURRECTION CHURCH AND SCHOOL,
138 Gramont. The first Catholics who came to the new suburb of Westwood
attended services at the chapel of the National Military Home (now
the Veterans Administration Medical Center). Resurrection Parish was
established in 1920 and Mass was held in the funeral parlor of Frank
Reisinger on West Third Street. The parish purchased property on West
Third and Kilmer Streets, remodeling the existing building to serve
as church and parish house until the construction of a new parish
house and school on Gramont in 1924. The present church building was
erected in 1943.
UPSHAW A.M.E. CHURCH,
256 Shoop Avenue, began as a mission in 1914 in a two-room house on
Blanche Street. One of their early pastors was noted civic leader,
Reverend Edward T. Banks, who organized the first black Y.M.C.A. in
Dayton and was important in the development of Linden Center and many
other organizations. In 1939, the congregation purchased a lot at
the corner of Blanche and McCabe Streets and built a new church. On
May 5, 1962, Upshaw A.M.E. Church moved to its present Shoop Avenue
location.
FIRST WESLEYAN CHURCH,
401 Gramont. The second oldest black church in Dayton, First Wesleyan
was organized after pro-slavery agitators looted and burned the homes
of black residents in 1841. The church was formed around abolitionist
principles and at first included both blacks and whites. First Wesleyan
hosted the first celebration of Emancipation on December 31, 1862,
a tradition which was repeated for many years. Famed African American
leader Reverend DeSoto E. Bass served at First Wesleyan from 1895
until his death in 1928. Located for many years at Scott (formerly
South Wilkinson) and Bruen Streets, First Wesleyan moved to 401 Gramont
Avenue in 1965 bringing with them the bell which rang for Emancipation.
Today, the church continues to serve the community from its Westwood
location.
WESTWOOD PUBLIC library,
3207 Hoover Avenue, opened in 1938 to serve the growing West Dayton
suburban neighborhoods. A part of the building, which dates back to
the mid-1800’s, was originally Buckeye School–a one-room schoolhouse.
The building also once served as a meeting place for a variety of
churches, and later was expanded into a four-room schoolhouse called
Shoop School. The building is now a branch of the Dayton & Montgomery
County library.
WAYMAN CHAPEL A.M.E. CHURCH,
3317 Hoover Avenue. Organized in 1835, it is the oldest African American
church in Dayton. The first church on the East Side was burned in
mob violence against blacks in 1841. The church was reorganized in
1867, meeting in various locations until moving to a new building
in 1872 at the corner of Eaker and Perry Streets. This was known as
the Eaker Street A.M.E. Church. It was here that renowned poet Paul
Laurence Dunbar and his mother worshipped. In 1882 it was renamed
Wayman Chapel A.M.E. Church in honor of the Reverend Father in God,
Bishop Alexander W. Wayman, seventh Bishop of the African American
Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1923, the congregation moved to a building
at the corner of Fifth and Bank Streets. Then, in 1963, highway construction
led them to relocate to their present site on Hoover Avenue. Today,
Wayman continues to be a strong force in the black community, drawing
members from across the Miami Valley.
WESTWOOD LUTHERAN CHURCH/REVIVAL CENTER MINISTRIES,
3011 Oakridge Avenue. Established in 1915, their first building was
completed at Westwood and Kammer Avenues by 1919. In the 1930’s and
1940’s, it was known as the “Church of the Chapels” for
their use of reconstructed surplus frame school buildings with child-sized
church furniture as educational facilities. In 1956, they erected
the distinguished church building on Oakridge Avenue. They were the
first Westwood church to reach out to the growing African American
community, going door-to-door inviting these new neighborhood residents
into their congregation. In 1995, they merged with Salem Lutheran
Church, moving to their present location in Dayton View.
SHILOH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH,
3810 Fairbanks Avenue, traces its roots to the mid-1920’s when the
“Workers of Faith Club” was organized among some members
of the Mount Pisgah Baptist Church (which had come out of Zion Baptist
Church). In 1927, this group incorporated as Shiloh Missionary Baptist
Church, holding services in the 300 block of Springfield Street until
the completion of the church basement on North Findlay Street in 1935.
Six years later, they traded this property for a church and parsonage
at 137 Sprague Street on the West Side. In 1961, the congregation
moved to their present location on Fairbanks Avenue.
DANIEL MILLER HOME,
3525 Dandridge Avenue. One of the county’s oldest homes, it was erected
in 1808 by Daniel Miller, who came to the area in 1802 and built a
sawmill and gristmill on Wolf Creek. His home served as a meeting
house for the German Baptist Brethren Church for a number of years,
and during the 1840’s and 1850’s, it served as a station
on the Underground Railroad. It is commonly referred to as the “Jonathan
Winters Home” because the comedian married a daughter of the
previous owner, and they lived there for a short time. It was listed
on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. BACK TO TOP |
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 Children
studying at Resurrection Catholic School (Courtesy of Resurrection
Catholic Church and School) |
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