Historic Sites to See in Miamisburg

Founded February 20, 1818

1.    Downtown Miamisburg:    The entire downtown district is listed on the National Historic Register.  It consists of a series of late 19th century and early 20th century commercial buildings.

2.    Market Square Building:    This building strategically located in the heart of downtown was built in 1851 as an open air market with governmental and community space on the upper floor.  It now is the home of the Miamisburg Historical Society and Museum.  Hours: 1:00 - 4:00 pm on Wednesday and Saturdays.  Other times are by appointment, call 937 859-5000.  Stop by for a free Walking Tour Guide and to purchase Miamisburg collectibles.  Adjacent to the building stands the Miamisburg Hamburger Wagon - a familiar site in downtown since 1913.

3.    St Jacob's Church:    Built in 1861, this beautiful old structure is the oldest church building in the community.

4.    Baum Opera House:    This imposing brick structure was erected in 1884 and was originally known as the Star City Opera House.  With a seating capacity of 800 persons, it was one of the finest in the state and the first to be built in a town of this size.  Today it is the site of many public and private functions and home to the Playhouse South Community Theater.

5.    Carnegie Center & Library Park:    The Carnegie Library in Library Park was built in 1910 funded in part by a grant from Andrew Carnegie.  Today it is used as a conference center and hosts a variety of city activities.

6.    River Corridor Bikeway:    This hard surfaced bike path rests on top of the levy built shortly after the great flood of 1913 to protect the communities of the Miami Valley from encroachment by the river during periods of heavy and sustained rainfall.  The bike trail provides easy access to Downtown Miamisburg and the opportunity to join in with endless miles of trail to the North, East and South.

7.    Miami-Erie Canal:    The canal was built in the late 1820's and connected Lake Erie with the Ohio River.  Sometime after the great flood of 1913, the portion of the canal through downtown was filled in and is today identified as the "Cinder Path" parking lot.  Sections of the original canal can still be seen to the North and South of the city.

8.    Gebhart Tavern Museum:    This log structure was built in 1811 by Daniel Gebhart who, with his father (Valentine) and 2 brothers came to Miamisburg in 1805.  The Tavern afforded a place of rest and refreshment for the settlers coming to the area via the river or over the several trails through the region.  Many historical items are on display at the Museum depicting life in the early 19th century.  Hours: 2:00 - 5:00 pm on Sundays June through September.  Other times by appointment.  Call 937 859-5000.  Stop by for a free Walking Tour Guide and to purchase Miamisburg collectibles.

9.    Miamisburg Mound State Memorial Park:    The Miamisburg Mound is the best known but least understood major prehistoric Indian feature in Ohio.  It measure nearly 70 feet in height and 877 feet in circumference at the base.  Archeologists believe the Mound was built as a ceremonial site by the Adena Indians who arrived in the Miami Valley about 1000 B.C.  The lovely park land surrounding the Mound has fine facilities for picnics and other recreational activities.

A Bit of History

Hundreds of years before either the red man or the white man came to this land, a mysterious race called the Adena Indians built an enclosure of earthworks from three  to ten feet high and fifty feet wide at the base.  The earthworks enclosed their village, the site of which now comprises the "downtown area" of Miamisburg.

Centuries later, the valley between the Great and Little Miami Rivers was the hunting grounds for the Miami Indians, a tribe of the Miami Confederation.  Their "stamping grounds" and villages were located on the west side of the river; a short distance north of what we now call "downtown" Miamisburg.

When the Greenville Treaty was signed in 1795, essentially ending the Indian resistance in the Northwest Territory, settlers began arriving in the lush Miami Valley.  The first to arrive in what is now Miamisburg was Zachariah Hole, who came with his family from Virginia in 1797.  Fearing trouble with the Indians, he built a stockade on the East bank of the Miami River opposite the mouth of Bear Creek.  They were followed by other settlers who lived within the stockade until their own cabins could be built on land given them by land grants from the federal government.

On February 20, 1818, Drs. John and Peter Treon, Emanuel Gebhart and Jacob Kercher, offered for sale ninety lots on the East bank of the river.  Thus Miamisburg came into existence - the only city by that name in the world.

In the ensuing years Miamisburg grew and prospered.  Transportation was a key to its development with good access provided by the river, the Miami-Erie Canal, the railroads and the highways - all of which are still evident in this thriving community - you just have to know where to look!

Miamisburg Historical Society  P.O. Box 774, Miamisburg, Ohio 45343  Telephone:  937 859-5000