Featured News

Merchant Block Revitalization Wins Statewide Preservation Honor

November 1, 2025 By admin

Dayton’s historic downtown is earning statewide recognition! The Merchant Block Development—featuring The Inn at Dayton and new spaces for retail and dining—has received Restore Oregon’s prestigious DeMuro Award for Preservation Impact. This award celebrates projects that conserve Oregon’s architectural heritage and serve as a catalyst for revitalization, economic vitality, and cultural pride.

Led by Twin Towers LLC (a division of The Stoller Group), the project restored three 1911 brick buildings on Courthouse Square, blending careful preservation with modern safety and energy upgrades. Designed by preservation architect Paul Falsetto and built by R&H Construction, the restoration brings renewed beauty and purpose to a long-quiet corner of downtown.

At its heart is The Inn at Dayton, a 12-room boutique hotel operated by Escape Lodging. With its welcoming lounge and serene courtyard, the Inn offers guests a relaxing base in Oregon wine country—and is helping spark interest and investment in the area’s continuing revitalization. The project also earned the SEDCOR Dynamic Development Award, following a nomination by City of Dayton Tourism and Economic Development Director Dave Rucklos, recognizing its lasting impact on the region.

“Bill Stoller always said the strength of a community comes from investing in both its people and its places,” said Stoller Group CEO Wayne Marschall. “The Merchant Block Development embodies his belief, and receiving the DeMuro Award is meaningful recognition of how his vision for Dayton is coming to life in a way that will benefit future generations.”

Congratulations to all involved in preserving Dayton’s historic character and setting the stage for a vibrant future downtown.

Learn more or plan your visit at theinnatdayton.com.

Dayton’s Caravan of Lights

November 24, 2021 By admin

Deck the Halls… errr… CARS!!! DCDA is sponsoring our first ever Caravan of Lights on Saturday, December 11th at 5:30pm! Decorate your car, truck, tractor, 4-wheeler, trailer, or float, and join us for two hours of bringing lighted joy to the community of Dayton!! Prize ribbons for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place!

Online Rules and Application can be found here: https://bit.ly/CaravanOfLightsApplication

Paper Rules and Application can be picked up at Alacrity Salon & Spa at 216 Ferry Street, Dayton, OR. All entry applications must be submitted by Wednesday December 8th.

A map of the route will be posted prior to the event so you’ll know if the light cruise will be passing by your house. We may not be able to travel on every Dayton street, but hopefully we’ll be close to you!

97114 Dayton Tourism Map

February 26, 2016 By admin

Tourism map flyer Here’s a great way to put your restaurant, shop, attraction, or service on the radar screen with the growing number of out-of-towners coming to enjoy the Willamette Valley wine country!

Join in on the effort to help drive tourism to the greater Dayton area and showcase the goods and services your business has to offer. The Dayton Community Development Association (DCDA) is spearheading this tourism map.

97114 Dayton Tourism Map Promotional Details

Sponsorship Form (pdf)
Submit Sponsorship Online

WHAT: Create a tourism map that brands the 97114 area as “central” to the Willamette Valley and Yamhill Valley AVAs. A good base camp for exploring wine country.

WHY:

To see our zip code as a unified destination.
To build relationships within our business community and help each other be successful. With cohesive, vibrant businesses we will draw more visitors to our zip code.
To educate all 97114 employees on the locations of our area businesses so that they can share them with visitors.
To cross-promote and grow all area businesses.
To enhance our regional image.

WHO: All tourism related business, in the 97114 zip code, will be included in this map: Wineries, Restaurants, Retail stores, Overnight accommodations, Services (bank, city hall, library)

WHERE AND WHEN: 97114. Maps will be available at all participating businesses as well as regional tourism promoters, Spring 2016.

HOW: Ashley Lippard Designs will create a high quality map/brochure listing all 97114 Tourism related businesses with their location and contact information.

All businesses will be listed with their name, address, web address and phone number. Each will have the opportunity to “sponsor” the brochure with donations of $100 or $250.
A $100 sponsorship will include the above listing in bold plus a descriptive sentence.
A $250 sponsorship will include the listing, description and an image.
All listings will also be posted on the Downtown Dayton website: www.daytonoregon.org.

The Dayton Community Development Association is a 501c3 nonprofit whose mission is to enhance the quality of life for all citizens of Dayton by helping to revitalize, improve and maintain the economic, physical, social, aesthetic and cultural environment of Dayton’s downtown area.

Block House Cafe Project Wins Oregon Main Street Award

October 9, 2015 By admin

10/07/15
The Block House Cafe received an Excellence in Downtown Revitalization Award for “Best Adaptive Reuse” from Oregon Main Street on Oct. 7 during the Oregon Main Street Conference in The Dalles. This award is granted to the best adaptive reuse of a building that has outlived its former use. Paul Falsetto, architect on the project, was on hand to accept the award.

With a total renovation budget of close to $1.5 million, this project transformed a former church to a new use. The initial step was documenting the historic elements and condition of the building to inform construction, including the compatible new addition. The Block House Cafe, which started across Courthouse Square Park, has made the building their new home. This move has more than doubled their business, allowing hiring 4 new employees. The Block House is a draw for both local community members and visitors. Even more important is the boost in morale this project has given the community of Dayton. It is the first major construction project in years, adding to the good work in facade improvement and business remodeling already completed.

“This project has given a new life to one of Dayton’s beloved historic landmarks,” stated Kelly Haverkate, main street coordinator. “By utilizing this church structure in a new way we have allowed it to grow to meet the needs of its community. Instead of sitting vacant and deteriorating, new generations are able to truly enjoy the history and ambiance of this beautiful building.”

“The Block House Cafe Project exemplifies what we are looking for in this award category,” says Sheri Stuart, Oregon Main Street Coordinator. “It brought new life to an important building that had sat vacant for years while maintaining its historic character. It is fun to be there on a Sunday morning and see it bustling with locals and visitors enjoying brunch!”

The Awards Presentation was a highlight of the Oregon Main Street Conference, a popular semi-annual conference that brings together people with an interest in downtown revitalization.

Historic Church Reopens as a Restaurant

January 5, 2015 By admin

The historic Dayton First Baptist Church building at 301 Main Street is experiencing new life – this time, as a restaurant. The building, built in 1886, is one of the oldest brick buildings in Yamhill County. Its congregation moved to larger quarters in the 1980s. Under the new ownership of Twin Towers LLC, it has undergone a historically sensitive renovation and a new structure with kitchen facilities has been constructed in the rear of the property. The Block House Cafe, previously at 302 Ferry Street, relocated to the renovated property in November 2014, serving up authentic American comfort food to the Dayton community and beyond.

Seismic upgrades, removal of the mezzanine floor that divided the space, and brick cleaning and repointing was completed in 2012. In 2014, the church space was converted into a dining room featuring a hickory floor, a fir ceiling, and a ten-foot high walnut custom cabinet set behind the dining counter. All of the fir table tops were made from the salvaged 1886 floor joists. New landscaping includes three patios, with views of the historic Fort Yamhill Blockhouse and Courthouse Square Park across the street. Artwork on the walls features scenes from local Dayton-area farms. Noted Portland preservation architect Paul M. Falsetto oversaw the project.

A number of other downtown Dayton buildings have been made more attractive in recent years. Many of the recent renovation efforts were inspired by a set of design plans from professionals with the State Historic Preservation Office, who met with building owners in 2010 after the Dayton Community Development Association (DCDA) contacted SHPO for assistance. SHPO staff presented a set of recommendations for facade improvements in July 2010. Over the past four years, seven downtown buildings have undergone facade improvements and renovations, including the civic addition of the new Palmer Creek Lodge Community Center when the City of Dayton purchased and renovated the Palmer Creek Lodge Masonic Temple on Fourth Street with the help of an $800,000 federal CDBG grant. Other civic improvements include the recently completed renovation of the historic Blockhouse and bandstand in Courthouse Square Park and the installation of new, wider sidewalks and new street trees downtown. The historic fountain in the park is currently undergoing rehabilitation as well. This partnership of public and private investment and the downtown revitalization efforts of the nonprofit Dayton Community Development Association are helping to make downtown Dayton into a great place to invest, live, work and play!