Colonel Edward A. Deeds had in incredible impact on the history of Dayton, and the world through his entrepreneurial spirit and creativity. Among which, he was partly responsible for great advancements in the automobile, he led the United States into World War I airplane procurement, and led the charge to arrange for flood control in the Miami Valley. Deeds' biography also demonstrated that many historically significant events occurred on the Moraine Farm as well. One of the first private airstrips in the United States was built here, and the first guided missile was launched at Moraine Farm. The detailed history of the site also demonstrates that the Olmsted Brothers' Firm in Brookline, Massachusetts had direct impact on the design of the property. The house and grounds are a good example of the Country Place design style that was popular at the turn of the Century in the United States. As such an important historic figure in American History, his life should be remembered and celebrated. Making his home available to the public would be an excellent vehicle to reach this goal through interpretation of the historic significance of the site. The goal of this thesis was to document the history of the Deeds' Moraine Farm and determine the historic significance and integrity of the site according the National Park Services' guidelines.
Deeds' biography was researched and a detailed history of the Moraine Farm was researched. The Secretary of Interior's Criteria for significance were then applied to the historical research to determine the significance of the site. The Moraine Farm demonstrated significance in three of the four criteria for significance. Periods of significance were chosen for each criteria of significance, which were appropriate for the Deeds Moraine Farm. The characteristics of the landscape for each of these periods were compared to the current conditions found on the farm. The analysis indicated that the integrity of many of the character-defining features was greatly diminished. The discussion then turned to the options of restoring many of the features that had been lost since 1955. It is imperative to have detailed documentation of every landscape feature in order to implement any restoration or reconstruction. As many of the plans and construction documentation for most of the designed features on the farm are missing, it was decided that restoration or reconstruction was not a viable option for the Deeds Moraine Farm. It was decided that a preservation plan was the appropriate approach to retain the remaining character-defining features of the farm. A rehabilitation plan was also suggested for accommodating any new program elements to be introduced to the site. The rehabilitation would include an extra parking lot, visitor facilities, and signage for the property to interpret the historic significance of the site for the public.