Central Avenue Historic District Middletown, Ohio

Text courtesy of the National Register of Historic Places, a program of the National Parks Service. Minor transcription errors or changes in formatting may have occurred; please see the Nomination Form PDF for official text. Some information may have become outdated since the property was nominated for the Register.

The Central Avenue Historic District is significant because of its connection with the commercial development of the downtown Middletown business community, and for its relationship to the development of downtown Middletown as a result of changing transportation technologies (Criterion A). In addition, the district is significant because several of the contributing resources represent a variety of architectural styles which embody the characteristics of late nineteenth and early to mid-twentieth century commercial buildings (Criterion C). The Period of Significance for the Central Avenue Historic District begins in 1890, coinciding with the oldest remaining buildings in the district and reflecting a building boom that followed closely when Middletown rose from a town to city status (Crout 1960:98). In 1886, the citizens of Middletown voted 810 to 465 to ask for city status from state and county officials. The period between 1890 and 1930 witnessed the construction of the majority of buildings within the historic district, thirty-six; more than 80% of the historic district's building stock. The period of significance extends to 1964, encompassing the post-World War II commercial buildings of Middletown that have reached fifty years of age. Most of the late nineteenth century buildings were generally altered during the early to middle twentieth century. These alterations occurred within the period of significance. The Central Avenue Historic District represents development of Middletown's late nineteenth to middle twentieth century commercial and shopping district, reflecting the ongoing results of a booming economy, industrial growth, and civic pride in this important Ohio industrial city. In fact, The Ohio Guide, first published in 1940, describes Middletown as, on State 73 is Middletown which stretches along the flood plain on the east bank of the Great Miami River, encircled by a chain of low, rolling hills. The smoking industrial atmosphere makes Middletown seem a raw, twentieth century boom-town. Actually it has had a vital commercial life for more than a century. The main street lies along an old mailstage route, and the modern department stores, specialty shops, and other business houses look brightly down on what was once the old canal.