Downtown in Dayton in Montgomery County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Newcom Tavern

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., February 14, 2009

1. Newcom Tavern Marker

Inscription. Newcom Tavern, one of Dayton's original dwellings, stood here in Van Cleve Park for much of its storied past. After leading a party of original Dayton settlers, George Newcom constructed his home in 1796 at the corner of Main and Monument, where it became the center of activity. Through the early 1800's, it served as an inn, a church, the schoolhouse, the post office, council chambers, a courtroom, the jail, and, during the War of 1812, army quartermaster headquarters. After the war, Newcom sold the tavern, and in 1838 it was converted to a general store that stayed in business until 1894. At that time, its logs and historical significance long since covered by clapboard siding, the tavern faced demolition. When the clapboard was removed, revealing the logs beneath, the tavern was saved. As part of Dayton's centennial celebration in 1896, it was moved to Van Cleve Park and converted to a museum displaying Dayton's history. There it withstood the brunt of the 1913 flood better than many of the modern buildings. In 1964, the tavern was again moved, this time to Carillon Historical Park. The pavilions on either side of the

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RiverScape plaza recall the tavern's years in Van Cleve Park.

Erected by Montgomery County, City of Dayton, Five Rivers MetroParks, Miami Conservancy District, et al.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers • War of 1812. A significant historical year for this entry is 1796.

Location. 39° 45.864′ N, 84° 11.418′ W. Marker is in Dayton, Ohio, in Montgomery County. It is in Downtown. It can be reached from East Monument Avenue (Ohio Route 4). Marker is on a concrete column in RiverScape, Van Cleve Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Dayton OH 45402, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Miami Valley.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 5, 2009

2. Newcom Tavern Marker

distance of this marker: Van Cleve Park (here, next to this marker); The Great Dayton Flood of 1913 / And The Rivers Flowed Through The City (here, next to this marker); Benjamin Van Cleve (a few steps from this marker); John Van Cleve (within shouting distance of this marker); 1905 Wright Flyer III (within shouting distance of this marker); Before Silicon Valley There Was Dayton, Ohio (within shouting distance of this marker); The Birth of Aviation (within shouting distance of this marker); Charles F. Kettering (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dayton.

Additional commentary.
1. When It Was The Jail
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Website has a short statement regarding the jail at the Newcom Tavern:

“In 1803, an election was held and George Newcombe was elected the first Montgomery County Sheriff. His office was in a tavern, so he met his need for a jail by lowering prisoners into a dry well with a rope and by chaining prisoners to a corncrib.”

— Submitted July 19, 2009.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 12, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,497 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 12, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.