The buildings — variously referred to as the Tavern, the IOOF building, and the old courthouse — were damaged in a January 2020 tornado that struck the city and its downtown. That began a dispute and then a long legal battle over the proposed demolition of the buildings constructed in 1840s and 1902.
Legal action was filed in both the Miami County courts and the 2nd District Court of Appeals. Word of mediation late in the year 2023 culminated in a settlement among parties and dismissal of all lawsuits. The future use of the buildings has not been determined.
** In early December, fire struck the historic Overfield Tavern on East Water Street downtown. The log structure was built by Benjamin and Margaret Overfield in 1808.
It is Troy’s oldest structure and the oldest log tavern in Ohio on the National Register of Historic Places. It has served as a museum featuring a collection of late-18th and early-19th-century artifacts reflecting daily life on the Ohio frontier prior to 1850. Hopes are to reopen the museum by the end of 2026 to honor America’s 250th anniversary.
Courts/police/safety
** Jerry North, the West Milton man accused in 2023 of rape of a child while custodian at Milton Union Elementary School before the boy later recanted, filed a civil lawsuit against police and others in U.S. District Court in Dayton. The suit, which remains in progress, claims the defendants acted “in willful, reckless and callous disregard of plaintiff’s (North) rights under federal and state law.”
North had been arrested in May 2023 and accused of sexual misconduct between 2018 and 2021 with a boy who claimed he had been sexually molested. North pleaded not guilty to rape, gross sexual imposition and intimidation of a victim or witness. He was scheduled to go on trial in January 2024, but two days before that, the boy, age 11, told prosecutors and victim advocates that he fabricated the allegations.
** Two men face homicide charges following deaths in the county in December. Michael Mayor, 34, of Piqua, was charged in the death of 1-year-old Vivian Gardner. Mayor faces charges of murder, felonious assault and child endangering. He is being held on $1 million bail. Daniel Davis Jr., 22, faces an aggravated murder charge in the shooting death of his father, Daniel Davis Sr., 54, at a Union Twp., Miami County, home. His bail was set at $3 million.
** Troy teen Ellie Carder was reported missing Feb. 2 after being last seen Jan. 31. Extensive searches were conducted but Ellie, 14, was not found. Her body was then discovered in early March in the Great Miami River south of Troy. The death was attributed to drowning.
City/county news
** Tipp City Council voted to purchase the troublesome Tipp Plaza Shopping Center in late 2023 for around $7 million. The purchase will be through the city’s Community Investment Corporation represented by Woodard Development Corp. The properties known as the Tipp City Plaza and Tipp Center are owned by TCP Center Limited and are located south of West Main Street along South Garber and Tippecanoe drives.
The city has tentatively agreed to accept the assignment of the purchase agreement and to retain the property for an undetermined holding period while the existing leases mature.
Credit: Jim Noelker
Credit: Jim Noelker
** Eric Mack was selected as the new city manager in Tipp City replacing Tim Eggleston, who retired mid-year. Mack previously served as the city director of municipal services and engineering.
** Miami County Prosecutor Anthony Kendell was sworn in as a new Municipal Court judge following the resignation/retirement of Judge Gary Nasal of Troy.
About the Author