2018 Update! The Hawthorne School has been converted to condos >>

Did you know that in McPherson Town, you could rent OWN a place that used to be a gymnasium?

20 upscale, loft-style apartments sit within this historic school tucked deep within McPherson Town. Each apartment is unique and includes reminders of late nineteenth century educational institutions, including polished wood floors, wainscoting transom windows, coat room hooks, chalkboards, and more.

On the outside, the size of this former school reflects the large school age population living in and around the McPherson Town neighborhood in the late 19th century. Built in the Romanesque style, it is an excellent example of a large Victorian era school building, featuring a rusticated limestone foundation, a soaring multiple gabled roof, a louvered bell tower with double round arch windows, brick corbelling and a round arch entrance bay with keystone. New construction garages are also available for rent for tenants.

Interesting in living in the Hawthorne School Apartments? Call 937-224-4116 for availability & rates.

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About the School:

Hawthorne school, located at 226 McDaniel St. was built in 1886 and expanded in 1911. It was named after author Nathaniel Hawthorne, American novelist and short story writer. It was used as a school for nearly 90 years (until 1974), then transformed into a center for unwed mothers for several years and later turned into a practice space for local dance companies.

By 1987, the school was closed and in dire need of repairs. Fortunately, neighbors had successfully petitioned to have it placed on the National Register of Historic Places a year earlier (1986). The city acquired the school in 1989 in a land swap with Dayton Public Schools. Over the next 6 years, numerous efforts to renovate the red brick building fell through until Mansur Real Estate Services Inc (MRESI) presented a feasible proposal in 1995.

In January 1998, the old vacant Hawthorne Elementary school was renovated into a 20 unit housing complex. It was a $1.57 million dollar project funded by federal grants, HOME funds, a city loan, and historic tax credits.  The city paid for lead paint and asbestos removal and provided a federal block grant. CityWide Development Corporation and McPherson Town Neighborhood Development Corporation are the general partners of Hawthorne School Apartments Limited Partnership today.