Site of Luke Morgan Home

The Berry Luther Morgan home once stood on the second lot from the southwest corner of Second Avenue and Walnut Street, playing a unique role in the Scopes Trial. It was here that famed defense attorney Clarence Darrow and his wife, Ruby, resided during the proceedings. Upon arriving in Dayton, Ruby found the accommodations at the so-called "Mansion" lacking—particularly due to the absence of indoor plumbing. In response, the Morgan family generously relocated to their cabin at Cumberland Springs, renting their home to the Darrows for $500 for the duration of the trial. Adding to the home's connection to history, Luther Morgan’s son, Howard “Scrappy” Morgan, became the first of John Scopes’ students to testify in court. Today, part of this historic lot has been transformed into Stella’s Place, a children’s playground enclosed by a wrought-iron fence, preserving a piece of Dayton’s storied past.