(Dayton, Ohio) Panel approves request to demolish Wright brothers' 1st bike shop

[LudwigPastorius]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wright-brothers-1st-bike-shop-panel-approves-request-to-demolish-building-dayton-ohio/

The Dayton Board of Zoning Appeals has approved the city's request to demolish a 129-year-old historic building that once was the site of the Wright brothers' first bike shop.

The city wants to tear down the site because the building has deteriorated to a point where it can no longer be maintained and redeveloped, the Dayton Daily News has reported. Public safety concerns have also been raised by some who fear the building could collapse.

While agreeing that most of the building should be demolished, the Dayton Landmarks Commission rejected the demolition request in September. The panel instead recommended that the city re-advertise the property and encourage its renovation in a way that preserves the historic facade.

Preservation groups had also opposed the city's plan. They argued that keeping the building's facade and incorporating it into a redevelopment project would make the project eligible for historic tax credits.

More at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wright-brothers-1st-bike-shop-panel-approves-request-to-demolish-building-dayton-ohio/
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It's a shame that, with all the history of aviation attractions around Dayton, the owners and foundations can't all get together and buy and restore this piece of history.

[Deuxcents]

1. Why hasn't it been cared for all these years?

What will replace it? Nothing can replace history.. even a plaque

[LudwigPastorius]

2. Yeah, unfortunately it's kind of typical of this country.

History and the common good of preserving our heritage take a back seat to making a buck.

[dalton99a]

3. Kick

[Demovictory9]

4. Preserve the walls. Move them somewhere

[jeffreyi]

5. Entropy happens.

Gravity, too.

[Doremus]

6. Bezos, Branson or Musk can't come up with the equivalent of the price of a cup of coffee to preserve

the first business location of the fathers of aviation?

[iemanja]

7. Hey, there's grant money for that

Numbskulls.

[Klaralven]

8. Doesn't seem likely that they started doing any aviation work in that building

The former Gem City Ice Cream building at 1005 W. Third St. in Dayton, Ohio, was built around their first Wright Brothers bicycle shop. Dayton City Planner Roane Smothers confirmed that the three walls of the original two-story bicycle shop that the Wrights ran in 1892 are still standing inside the current structure.

As their business grew, the Wright brothers moved their bicycle shop six times and changed the name once.

1892 – Wright Cycle Exchange at 1005 West Third Street, Dayton, OH.
1893 – Wright Cycle Exchange at 1015 West Third Street, Dayton, OH.
1893 to 1894 – Wright Cycle Exchange at 1034 West Third Street. The name was later changed to Wright Cycle Co.
1895 to 1897 -- Wright Cycle Co. at two locations – the main store at 22 South Williams Street, Dayton, OH and a branch in downtown Dayton at 20 West Second Street. The branch store was closed in 1896.
1897 to 1908 – The Wright Cycle Co. at 1127 West Third Street, Dayton, OH.

https://www.wright-brothers.org/Information_Desk/Just_the_Facts/Bicycles/Wright_Bicycles.htm

[LudwigPastorius]

10. Yeah, but I noticed that Canada didn't tear down the train station where a young Edison worked...

as a telegrapher.

Obviously, you can't preserve everything that has even the slightest historical significance, but I happen to believe the Wright's first business location warrants more than a plaque. Their bike business bankrolled their later flight research and a Wright brothers bicycle is even in the National Air and Space Museum.

There should be a way to balance the fact that business marches on and the irreversible action of tearing it down.

[MichMan]

13. The entire building they used from 1897-1908 was carefully taken apart

and reconstructed in Dearborn Michigan at The Henry Ford Greenfield Village Museum (including the interior) with the assistance of the Wright Bros.

[Hoyt]

9. You'd think someone would have made a museum or something there.

I remember visiting the Wright Bros Memorial in NC.

[OilemFirchen]

14. The Wright Cycle Co. on Williams St. is a museum.

Also, the last West Third building was moved to Carillon Park, along with a Wright Flyer III and tons of memorabilia. As noted above, the Wright Brothers operated out of six different buildings.

That said, it's infuriating that the city wouldn't reach a compromise with the Landmarks Commission. As the article points out, there's no immediate need to demolish the building. There can be mitigation until an appropriate buyer is found. We have an historic church a block away that is considerably less stable and was destined for the wrecking ball until a couple purchased it and have submitted a multi-year renovation plan.

It's also important to note that this building is on Dayton's west side, which has a majority black population. Although it's within a designated historic district, that location may have some bearing on the city's indifference.

On edit: As MichMan noted, the last West Third shop is at Greenfield Village (moved there by Henry Ford). The building at Carillon Park is a replica of that shop.

[MichMan]

11. The one they had from 1897-1908 is in Greenfield Village

That was their home base when they were developing the airplane and has much more significance that this early one still in Dayton. It was carefully disassembled and relocated to Dearborn with the assistance of the Wrights

It looks like the building referenced in the OP was built around part of the Wright Bros. Shop and they did not reside on the building pictured. It may still have some historical significance.

https://www.thehenryford.org/artifact/146088/#slide=gs-235593

[Straw Man]

12. Kind of like when NYU ...

... wanted to knock down a house where Edgar Allan Poe had lived, in order to build a student center that would encompass the entire block.

The compromise was to leave the facade of the house as a portion of one wall of the monstrosity.

[jmowreader]

18. Calm down. Turns out it has nothing to do with the Wright Brothers

https://wrightbrothershistory.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-gem-city-ice-cream-building-and-1st.html

The Associated Press account continues, "The Shop was first built in 1892 to serve as the Wright Brother's first bike shop.....(The Wright Brothers) started their work on flight several years after they built the shop that will be razed."

Incorrect- The Wright's did not build this "shop". A residential structure existing on the lot with address of 1003 West Third Street remained until 1894. Abraham Nicholas purchased the property in 1894, tore the residence down, and developed the site, building the two-story-with-basement structure called the Nicholas Block, which was eventually occupied by the Gem City Ice Cream Company in 1902. The Wright's did not build this structure, and they did not occupy it.

[Throck]

19. A friend of mine, his grandpa as a kid use to visit this shop.

His grandpa told him great stories of Orville and Wilber.

Always tinkering but always time to show the kids how to fix their own bikes. They inspired his grandpa to become an engineer and thus for 3 generations.

[sinkingfeeling]

20. Really stupid.