New houses going up as village of Dennison sees rare population surge

Jon Baker, The Times-Reporter
·4 min read
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Russel McDaniel, the contractor building a new home at 412 McCrea Ave. in Dennison, talks about the ongoing work.
Russel McDaniel, the contractor building a new home at 412 McCrea Ave. in Dennison, talks about the ongoing work.

DENNISON ‒ Susan and Richard Householder have joined a growing list of people who have built new houses in the village of Dennison in the last decade.

The couple is building a 4,400-square-foot ranch-style house at 211 Hanna St., close to the entrance of the PHAC Park ballfields. It will have four bedrooms, including a mother-in-law suite for Susan's mother, Maureen Linnell; three and a half baths; and a screened in deck so they can sit out in the summertime and watch Little League games at the park. It will be handicap accessible to accommodate Richard, a disabled Iraq War veteran.

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Their current home at 11 Sherman St. ‒ just a block away ‒ wasn't big enough.

"We have eight children and 16 grandkids and we needed a place with a big open space for holidays and things like that," Susan Householder said.

Though neither Susan nor Richard are Dennison natives, they like living in the area.

"This is a nice place to raise kids. It's a really close community," Susan said. "The reason why we're building over there is because of the community. We have the best neighbors just right here in our neighborhood. We do all kinds of things together."

A new home under construction on Hanna Street in Dennison. The village has added 54 residents since 2010, a 2% increase.
A new home under construction on Hanna Street in Dennison. The village has added 54 residents since 2010, a 2% increase.

Dennison has been declining in population since its heyday in the 1920s, when it had a population of more than 5,000. The 2020 census lists the village with 2,709 residents.

But it added 54 residents since 2010, a 2% increase. This was the first time the community has added residents in decades.

Aggressive action on dilapidated buildings

That growth can be attributed to aggressive action by village officials to tear down blighted buildings and sell the resulting vacant lots to people willing to build.

Two demolitions:Dennison Village Council approves spending for demolitions, stray cat sterilizations

Since 2010, the village or property owners have demolished 76 deteriorating structures.

The Householders bought the property on Hanna Street and had the house there torn down in 2021. It had stood empty for at least 12 years. They split the cost of demolition with the village.

A new home under construction on Hanna Street in Dennison.
A new home under construction on Hanna Street in Dennison.

In the same time period, 20 new houses have been built or are being built in Dennison. This includes the new Lakeside Heights subdivision off Fette Road on the northeast edge of town. All nine lots in the subdivision have been sold, according to Mayor Greg DiDonato.

Demolishing old houses has helped reduce drug activity, as well as problems with squatters. "So it's saving us valuable time policing them," the mayor said. "It's just built a better environment."

Even the sale of lots that are too small to build on are a benefit to the community, he said. The lots are cleaned up and the new owners are paying taxes on the property.

A new home under construction on Hanna Street in Dennison. The village has added 54 residents since 2010, a 2% increase.
A new home under construction on Hanna Street in Dennison. The village has added 54 residents since 2010, a 2% increase.

DiDonato said residents are pleased with the results.

"I own a home here. I don't want it devalued," he said. "The people who have pride take care of their home. It is an investment and you're protecting them. In most cases, they're the people who are involved in the community."

He noted that houses have been selling for good prices in Dennison in recent years.

"If the neighborhoods are deteriorating, no one's getting anything for their homes," DiDonato said.

Investing in Dennison and Uhrichsville

Russel McDaniel, who is retired from the construction business, is building a new house on a 50-by-150 lot at 412 McCrea Ave. that he hopes to sell when it is completed.

The 1,360-square-foot residence will have two bedrooms, two baths and a double garage. He said it would be an ideal starter house or a retirement home.

He owned Mac Construction, which built about 75 houses in four or five different counties over the years. Now he builds houses to keep busy in the winter months and help pay for retirement.

"Now it's relaxing. I enjoy doing it. It's not like a job anymore. It's more or less a hobby now," he said.

Russel McDaniel, who is retired from the construction business, is building a new house on a 50-by-150 lot at 412 McCrea Ave. that he hopes to sell when it is completed.
Russel McDaniel, who is retired from the construction business, is building a new house on a 50-by-150 lot at 412 McCrea Ave. that he hopes to sell when it is completed.

Over the past four years, McDaniel has built four new houses in Uhrichsville and flipped a house on Seventh Street in Uhrichsville two years ago.

He said he thinks investing in Dennison and Uhrichsville is a good idea.

"This is my home. I'd rather spend my time and money here than I would traveling," he said.

The Householders hope to have their new house finished sometime this year. Then they plan on renting out their current home on Sherman Street.

Susan said Dennison is a nice place to retire or to raise children.

"It's a nice small community," she said. "And even though it's little town, everything is right here. We don't have to go very far to the grocery store or the hospital or downtown or the ball game. It's really convenient."

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Dennison adds 20 new houses in last 11 years