Since 1866, Victoria Theatre has been a magnificent landmark on Main Street, Dayton. Although damaged by fires and flood, it has always been restored.
In January 1918, following a touring production of Eileen, a fire broke out and the Theatre burned to the ground. Danis was hired to rebuild the Theatre, but construction was delayed due to World War I and a shortage of building materials. With the war ending in late 1918, construction commenced to rebuild the landmark. The Theatre reopened on Thanksgiving Day 1919, premiering a new production, Betty Be Good. It was rechristened the Victory Theatre in honor of the war effort.
In 1917, Col. E.A. Deeds commissioned B.G. Danis with the construction of the Engineers Club building at 110 E. Monument, Dayton. Construction was completed over the course of a year and the building was dedicated in February, 1918. The building featured many innovations and advanced technologies, including an integrated vacuum system, and a servant enunciator network (intercom).
- Engineers Club: Cost to Build
In 1918, it cost $300,000 to build the Engineers Club of Dayton. In 2015, 97 years later, it would cost $4,734,755 to construct the same building.
- Engineers Club: Where we are today
Since opening, the Engineers Club is still located on Monument St., Dayton and is open daily to carry on its traditions.
- Engineers Club: Talking Points
E. A. Deeds and Charles Kettering established the Club in 1914 and personally paid for the 1917 building construction. Other members were Orville Wright, Ermal Fraze, and B.G. Danis.
Graduating from Cornell with a Civil Engineering degree in 1909, B.G. Danis would go on to run his own company just seven years later.
Danis founded the company with the belief that they would be successful if he built the business with ethical, hardworking individuals. As such, they were highly regarded in the industry as evidenced by the importance and scope of the jobs they were awarded. Being home to the brightest engineering minds and inventors of the time, Danis was an integral part in the growth of Dayton as an industry giant.
Citizens Motorcar Company was a major Packard dealer and distributor throughout the Midwest. Today, the proto-deco style building serves as the nationally recognized “America’s Packard Museum”. The museum features over 50 automobiles on display in the Art Deco showroom.
- 1919 - Remy Electric Manufacturing Plant
The first section of Remy Plant 1 was a five story brick building, constructed in Anderson, Indiana. Many existing buildings were razed to make room for the new building. Remy was founded by two brothers who developed the Remy Magneto, a power converter for engines. In 1916, United Motors purchased Remy and Delco, and in 1918, UM was purchased by General Motors.
- 1918 – Dayton-Wright Airplane Co. (DWAC) Plant 1
Located in Moraine, the construction of Plant 1 was originally commissioned by Kettering and Deeds for use by The Domestic Building Co. However, DWAC needed the additional space and purchased the building. These DWAC buildings were home to production of the first battle plane of any kind in the U.S. for WWI. In 1918, 8,000 people produced 40 planes a day.
