Bailey Hardware

During the Scopes Trial, Bailey Hardware became an unexpected hub for the press, housing many of the 120 reporters who descended upon Dayton to cover the historic proceedings. The building’s upstairs loft, known as The Press Hall, served as both a workspace and temporary lodging for journalists, while some of the 22 telegraphers stationed in town also worked and resided there. The trial’s media coverage was staggering—one sociologist observed that “no periodical of any sort…ignored the subject” and estimated that the collective reporting could have filled 900,000 pages of print. Originally built in 1909, the Bailey Hardware building later changed hands, becoming Abel Hardware under Jim Abel’s ownership. Today, the historic structure continues to serve the community as Art Crafters, an art store that carries on the building’s legacy of creativity and communication.