Here’s what Bement writes about the history and architecture of his favorite building:
The beautiful Dayton View Branch Library opened to the public in September 1930 and was designed by Dayton architect Albert Pretzinger. The Pretzinger family of architects and engineers left an architectural legacy in the region — from commercial buildings to places of worship to schools and movie theaters. The footprint of the library building makes the best use of its triangular shaped plot of land at the corner of Salem and Wabash avenues.
The English Tudor Revival architecture features red brick and Bedford stone with a slate roof, as well as dramatic cathedral ceilings with exposed and masterfully carved heavy timber structure inside. The open, flowing floor plan lends itself nicely to the specific use for which it was designed. The building today looks much the same as it did over 85 years ago, which is a testament of wonderful stewardship by the library system.
Tudor Revival style (also known as Tudorbethan) residences and public buildings were extremely popular in the 1920s and 1930s after certain aesthetics of the Arts and Crafts Movement in previous decades had spread from the United Kingdom to the United States. Simplicity in building materials taken from nature and an emphasis on artisan craftsmanship were two of the main tenets of the style. Decorative half-timbering infilled with stucco or brick walls, tall ornamental chimneys, elaborate brickwork, steeply pitched slate roofs with gables, stone-surrounded entries and patterned leaded glass windows added Old World charm and nostalgia to buildings of this time period. Magazines and house plan catalogs of the era contributed to the spread in popularity of the picturesque and romanticized English revival styles around the country.
Since the library was designed as a true neighborhood branch when most people walked or took the trolley or bus to visit, off-street parking was not a high priority. Hence, the lack of parking may be considered a challenge as the building awaits a new user.
Perhaps to preserve an architectural treasure such as this, we need to come together as a community of creative thinkers and invent a new use that continues to benefit the Salem Avenue corridor.