Cincinnati Preservation Association

Help CPA Save the James N. Gamble House in Cincinnati

Updated January 13, 2012

In 2010, the Greenacres Foundation filed suit to force the City to release the demolition permit for the Gamble House. In October 2011, Judge Robert Winkler took the matter under advisement, with a decision expected within 60 days. No ruling has been issued as of this date.

Updated:  May 27, 2011

‘The battle to save the Gamble House has created a perfect storm for historic preservation in the city.’  Larry Harris, Cincinnati Urban Conservator

As of this writing, the Gamble House federal court case is still ongoing. Preservationists marked May 12 –the one-year anniversary of the house’s designation as a landmark—with a Facebook campaign urging City officials to enforce building codes.

Here are some recent developments:

Court Hearing 5/18. The Greenacres Foundation is appealing the Building Board of Appeals’ denial the issuance of a demolition permit for the house and plans to combine several complaints into one. A hearing was held before Judge Michael Bachman on May 18 but no decision was issued. The judge will take the matter under submission and issue a recommendation, with a report due July 11.

Repairs delayed. Greenacres has applied to the Historic Conservation Office to put a tarp on the Gamble House roof and to demolish the greenhouse. A prehearing was scheduled for May 18 but was canceled by the applicant. As of this writing, Greenacres’ attorney is requesting that the hearing be postponed until June 27.

Media coverage. The Gamble House story broke into the national media with a long-awaited story in the May 20 Wall Street Journal. The Cincinnati Enquirer followed with a May 22 story detailing the deterioration of the house over the past four years.

Update January 27, 2011:

(CINCINNATI) Cincinnati Preservation Association today learned that their most recent purchase offer for the historic James N. Gamble House has been rejected by property owner Greenacres Foundation. Submitted to Greenacres on January 17, the offer outlined terms for the purchase price and adaptive reuse of the landmark home.

Last week’s offer represented CPA’s third attempt to purchase the Gamble House. Previous proposals, submitted on April 29 and June 23, 2010, also were rejected by Greenacres. With a demolition application on file, the 1870s-era Victorian Italianate villa,
located at 2918 Werk Road in Cincinnati’s Westwood neighborhood, is at grave risk, according to Executive Director Paul Muller.
In its offer, CPA proposed to buy the house and a 1.7-acre parcel of land. An easement would be granted to allow Greenacres to construct a driveway through the property. The offer included a 90-day contingency to find suitable financing and included a condition that all architectural features removed by Greenacres from the house be returned.

CPA proposed to adaptively renovate the house for community and educational use, while using part of the building to display interpretive material highlighting the life and work of James N. Gamble. Repairs to the building would begin immediately to prevent further deterioration. The house would be fully stabilized and secured while CPA raised funds for a full restoration and an endowment for long-term support of the property.

The proposed reuse of the home would be compatible with Greenacres’ vision of youth educational programming on the property.   “Their mission of stewardship of the natural environment would be enhanced by the renovation of the James Gamble house,” said Muller.  “The house marks the beginning to an American architectural movement that sought to connect houses to the natural landscape. It is a rare and timely opportunity to teach about the intertwined relationship of natural and built environment.” Only a small portion of the land would be used by CPA, he said; the remaining 20 acres would
accommodate Greenacres’ activities.

The Gamble House has been largely vacant since 1962 and has been deteriorating for many years. Repair orders were placed on the house by the City in June 2010.  The house was nominated as a City landmark in February 2010, which would provide added
protection against demolition and alteration. Greenacres then filed for a demolition permit. When the City refused to release the permit, Greenacres filed a lawsuit in Common Pleas court, which was later transferred to federal court. In April, workers began removing architectural features from the house. Federal Judge Susan Dlott subsequently issued an order for return of all items that were removed. In May, the house was designated a City landmark. In September, Council Member Charles Winburn proposed the City acquire the house by eminent domain, which is still under consideration by the City.

The preservation of the Gamble House has drawn tremendous support from around the region and across the country. Preservation Ohio, a statewide organization, named the struggle to save the Gamble House the top Ohio preservation story of 2010. According to Preservation Ohio, “The efforts of our friends in Cincinnati have been brilliant, creative, resourceful, innovative and not only worth following and supporting, but worth holding up as a model for advocacy work in other Ohio communities.” They noted the Save the Historic Gamble Estate Facebook page, which is a trove of information about Gamble
and his life in Westwood. Thousands of people have emailed City Council in support of the house, signed petitions, joined the Facebook page, and turned out at community meetings, rallies and protests.

Despite today’s setback, CPA is still committed to work with the City of Cincinnati and Westwood to save the house. “The community of Westwood has united in support of the preservation of the house,” said Muller.  “We value their vision and commitment and will continue to try to save this national treasure.”

James N. Gamble was a civic leader, industrialist, and Mayor of the Village of Westwood. In his work with the family business, the Procter & Gamble Company, Gamble invented Ivory Soap, a groundbreaking consumer product still in production today. The property remained in the Gamble family for eighty-six years. Upon the death in 1961 of Olivia Gamble, the last full-time resident of the house, the home was passed to Louis Nippert, who was Olivia’s nephew. Mr. Nippert’s care for this property is believed
to be due to his love for his grandfather, James N. Gamble. In 1991, CPA presented Mr. Nippert and his wife, Louise, with an award for their stewardship of the home. Mr. Nippert died on November 17, 1992. The Greenacres Foundation is a non-profit, private, operating foundation established in 1988 by Louis and Louise Nippert.
Update September 27, 2010:
September 26, 2010 

Honorable Mayor Mallory, City Council Members 
Honorable Historic Conservation Board 
Richard Ganulin, City Solicitor 
Amit B. Ghosh, P.E., Chief Building Official 
Edward Cunningham, Division Manager, Community Development Department 

Re: James N. Gamble House, 2918 Werk Road: City Code Violations 

Dear Mayor Mallory, Council Members, Historic Conservation Board Members, and City Officials: 

Cincinnati Preservation Association (CPA) is very concerned about the status of the historic James N. Gamble House at 2918 Werk Road. The building is vacant and has been neglected for years, to the dismay of concerned citizens across the city and the region. In the past week there has been a great deal of activity at the site as building materials have been removed from the interior of the house and relocated to an outbuilding. A number of stained glass windows were removed from the exterior of the home. It appears that the house is being prepared for demolition by its owner, Greenacres Foundation, despite it not having a demolition permit. The Gamble House was designated by the City of Cincinnati on May 12, 2010 as a City Landmark.

Independent of any ongoing litigation, City Council legally created an overlay district for the property. Thus the owner of the property is subject to those provisions of the municipal codes governing maintenance and care of historic structures. CPA maintains that the City not only has the authority, but the right and duty to enforce its current regulations regarding this historic building.

To our knowledge, as of this date the owner has not availed itself of the appropriate courses prescribed by the municipal code. The owner has not taken steps to provide reasonable care for the historic structure. The owner has not filed a Certificate of Appropriateness with the Historic Conservation Board and has not obtained a Vacant Building Maintenance License (VBML) for the building. By not remedying ongoing water intrusion, refusing to fix gutters and downspouts, removing portions of the interior building systems, and continued preparations aimed at demolition rather than maintenance, the owner has failed to provide reasonable care for this historic property and is acting in direct contravention of the municipal code.

We strongly encourage the City to enforce compliance by Greenacres Foundation with the municipal code. Even more so, we fully endorse the anticipated motion of Council Member Charles Winburn for the City to exercise its powers of eminent domain and take title to the Gamble House and its surrounding property. Actions to date readily reveal that only the City, at this point in time, has the capacity to act as a true steward for this property. The Gamble House is far more than an architecturally significant and historic property; it is an anchor for Westwood and its community. The Gamble House stands as a monument to one of Cincinnati’s greatest citizens and can be used in any number of ways to inspire the community and generations to come.

Thirty years ago, Cincinnati enacted a strong historic conservation law with the assistance of CPA. Preservationists hailed the new statute for providing a higher level of protection for the City’s historic resources. There is no better way for the City to honor this anniversary than to use the provisions of this law to protect one of its most important historic buildings, the James N. Gamble House. 

Thank you for your attention to this serious matter. Please contact us if we can be of assistance.

Sincerely,
Paul Muller, AIA 
Executive Director

September 25, 2010
Statement from Paul Muller, Executive Director, Cincinnati Preservation Association Regarding the James N. Gamble House

The crisis at the James N. Gamble house is a problem that does not need to exist. Cincinnati Preservation Association remains committed to its offer to purchase and restore the house, thus freeing Greenacres from the cost of renovating and maintaining this national treasure. There was disturbing activity at the property in Westwood in the past week. Beginning Monday neighbors of the historic Werk Road estate reported that work crews were removing parts of home’s non protected interior trim and detailing. Later in the week reports came that the workers were also dismantling protected exterior elements, including window sashes and decorative molding. City officials visited the site Friday and witnessed the window removal first hand.

Greenacres Foundation appeared poised to tear down the house in anticipation of a receiving demolition permit. City officials refused to grant the permit, citing the vote of the Board of Zoning Appeals denial of the Greenacres appeal. Cincinnati Preservation Association is stunned by the events of this week, because they are obvious precursors to the home’s demolition, which we vehemently oppose. The loss of this home is unfathomable and unnecessary. We believe there is still time to save this house and establish a process by which it will provide its beauty and historic significance for generations to come. The house has clearly been damaged by Greenacres recent dismantling. Full restoration is a big task but the recent damage should not be viewed as the “point of no return”. The removal of material at the site is part of a strategy to have people say “it is to far gone, there is not much left to save”. My response to that is the trim was removed for reuse and can be reinstalled by skilled carpenters. This is a simple frame house and much of the work only requires a small hammer and finish nails. A good paint job will also go a long way to bringing this wonderful house back to state Louis Nippert maintained when it was under his stewardship. We believe we can pull this back from the brink in part because the community is so strongly and passionately dedicated to saving the building.

CPA remains committed to its proposal to purchase the house from Greenacres, and create a viable public use for the property that aligns with the interests of the foundation and of the neighborhood. We have asked for a meeting with Greenacres Executive Director Carter Randolph and members of their board to discuss any scenario under which the house could be saved. This request was ignored. So where does that leave the fate of James N. Gamble House? Are there still options to protect this property that is owned privately, yet obviously of high public interest? In short, yes. It is important to remember that the house is protected from demolition by the Landmark designation that City Council unanimously passed in May. That law also requires the owner to maintain the house and to prevent weather related damage. Greenacres is ignoring this requirement and continues to let water enter the building in a number of locations. We urge the city to enforce these basic obligations that residents throughout the city follow and respect. We are hopeful that a successful outcome can be achieved. The first step is for Greenacres to take the communities overwhelming expression of support for the house into consideration. This does not seem like too much to ask of a nonprofit charitable organization.

You may donate using Visa or MasterCard by calling CPA at 513-721-4506. Checks made payable to CPA/Gamble House may be sent to 342 W. 4th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202.

The Gamble House and its Outbillings
Significance. The James N. Gamble House is one of the most historically significant buildings in Cincinnati. It is the property that best represents the life and work of James N. Gamble, civic leader, industrialist, and Mayor of the Village of Westwood. In his work with the family business, the Procter & Gamble Company, Gamble invented Ivory Soap, a groundbreaking consumer product still in production today.

The house is a High Victorian Italianate villa with a wealth of intact, detailing, including porches, roof brackets and a mansard-roofed tower. Its beautiful wooded setting evokes the rural character of the original Gamble estate. Finally, the Gamble House is the best-preserved of the country seats built in Westwood when it was still a rural village. It is a rare survivor of this formative era in the neighborhoods history.

The house is believed to have been originally constructed in the 1830s. Significant additions and alterations were made after 1875, when James Norris and Margaret Penrose Gamble purchased the property. Local architectural historians have speculated that the addition is suggestive of the work of James McLaughlin (Victorian with Italianate influences). Several outbuildings on the site are not part of the demolition plan. Several significant outbuildings also remain on the site. These supplemental structures include a barn, carriage house, greenhouse, and caretaker’s house. Most significant is the barn, which was designed by Solon Spencer Beman, and possesses the same roof structure and window style he used in designing Ivorydale (late 19th century).

Historic Significance Pre-Dates the Gamble Family
Although widely known as the Gamble House, the property has historic significance that reaches back before the Gamble legacyto the very beginnings of Westwood. James Goudy, the first known settler in Westwood, was the original owner of the land. Richard Gaines, referred to as the Father of Westwood also owned the property. Gaines, a native of London, England, migrated successively to Burlington, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and finally to Cincinnati, where he originally settled in Green Township, which was sparsely populated at the time. By 1820, Gaines began to find this location to be too far from the city proper so he purchased a farm of 160 acres on the west side of the Harrison Pike in the western portion of the village of Westwood. It was upon this parcel that the Gamble House was constructed. John Gainesthe very first mayor of the Village of Westwoodalso lived in the home. Thomas Morgan is listed as the property owner in 1873. In 1875, ownership transferred to James N. Gamble, the last mayor of the Village of Westwood, before its annexation to the city of Cincinnati.

The original size of the parcel during Richard Gaines tenure was has been recorded in various sources as being anywhere from 60 to 160 acres in size. There a number of references which state that James N. Gamble’s father, James Gambleco-founder of the Procter & Gamble Companyhad the original structure built in 1832, but no source to substantiate these references have been found. The Gamble estate currently occupies 21 acres of partially wooded rolling hills in the heart of Westwood.

The property has remained in the Gamble family since 1875. Upon the death in 1961 of Olivia Gamble, the last full-time resident of the house, the home was passed to Louis Nippert, who was Olivia’s nephew. Mr. Nippert was once a part-owner of the Cincinnati Reds, and served two terms in the Ohio House of Representatives, From 1961 to 1992, Mr. Nippert ensured that the property was well-maintained during his tenure of ownership. He hired a full-time caretaker to oversee the building and grounds, and the main house was mothballed in a perfectly-preserved state during this time. Mr. Nippert’s responsible and compassionate care for this historic property is believed to be due to his love for his grandfather, James N. Gamble. In 1991, CPA presented Mr. Nippert and his wife, Louise, with an award for their stewardship of the home. Mr. Nippert died on November 17, 1992.

James N. Gamble: Patriarch of the Western Hills
James Gamble was co-founder of the Procter & Gamble company, and father of James N. Gamble.

James Gamble the elder emigrated from Dublin, Ireland, in the early part of the 19th century. Why he chose Cincinnati as a final destination is unknown, but references indicate it was the accident of sickness that arrested his journey in the Queen City, as it is believed he was originally headed for a point further west. James Gamble started his soap manufacturing business in 1829. He went into partnership with his brother-in-law, William Procter, to form Procter and Gamble in 1837. James and Elizabeth Gamble raised nine children, the oldest of whom was James N. Gamble.

James N. Gamble, a resident of Westwood for more than sixty years, is honored and revered to this day as a civic leader. He lived in the house at 2918 Werk Road from 1875 until his death in 1932.

James N. Gamble was born at the southwest corner of Fourth and Central in 1836. He attended Kenyon College, graduating in 1854 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While at the college he was involved in building the first fraternity house in the US (a log cabin). He went on to school in the East to study chemistry.

James N. returned to Cincinnati and joined the law firm of Rutherford B. Hayes, then left to join the family firm (then at Court and Main Streets). His background in chemistry led him to the manufacturing side of the business. He is credited with developing Ivory Soap in 1879, although research suggests that the invention of the famous floating soap actually came many years earlier. While hunting through company archives during the process of compiling a book about Procter & Gamble’s history, researchers found the diary of James N. Gamble. One entry, dated 1863, reads: I made floating soap today. I think we’ll make all of our stock that way.

James N. Gamble married Margaret Penrose of Ireland in 1862. They purchased the property at 2918 Werk Road in 1875.

Procter & Gamble’s first large manufacturing plant was located on Central Avenue in the Mohawk area. After a fire destroyed that plant, James N. Gamble was given the responsibility for rebuildingbut on a larger scale to accommodate the increase in business. Construction of Ivorydale began in 1888 in the Millcreek Valley.

James N. Gamble gave Thomas A. Edison one of his first jobs when he hired him to develop a device to allow the main offices to communicate with the plant about 2 miles away. Edison developed equipment which was a forerunner of the teletype machine.

In 1915, James N. Gamble helped create the first coordinated community campaign for charities. That charitable organization, known today as The United Way, is the leading community-based fund-raiser in the United States.

Mr. Gamble was very active in the Cincinnati community. He served on the Board of Directors of a number of organizations including the Central Trust Company and the University of Cincinnati. He helped to found the Young Men’s Christian Association in Cincinnati and assisted in the formation of the YWCA. He was on the first non-partisan Board of Park Commissioners, which was instrumental in laying out a plan to connect suburbs with parks and boulevards. He was an enthusiastic supporter of connecting Cincinnati to other cities via rail and pushed for the canalization of the Ohio River from Pittsburgh to Cairo. Connecting the Western Hills to the city was another of Mr. Gamble’s driving ambitions, so it was only fitting when, in January of 1932, at 95 years of age, he served as the guest of honor for the opening ceremonies of the Western Hills Viaduct.

Gamble was known for his generosity to a wide variety of charities regardless of creed or color. After the Civil War, he was a sponsor of the Freedmen’s Aid Society to provide education and industrialization to slaves throughout the country. Christ Hospital was the major beneficiary of his philanthropic gifts. In 1927 he created and endowed Christ Hospital with an Institute of Medical Research. When his grandson James Nippert died, he saw to it that the stadium at the University of Cincinnati was completed and named in James’ memory.

In the community of Westwood, Gamble was equally involved. When the local narrow gauge Cincinnati & Westwood Railroad connecting Westwood with Brighton failed financially, he invested large amounts of his own money to help resurrect it, and then convert it to standard gauge so it could be extended. He was actively involved in building up Westwoods town center, which is now a district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. His name is associated with the planning for the Westwood Town Hall and Westwood School. He was actively involved in the Cheviot Lodge No. 140, which built a meeting hall in that area. He also provided a significant amount of financial assistance to build the Westwood Methodist Church. The cost of that beautiful church, which sits majestically on the corner of Epworth and Urwiler avenues, was $50,000 in 1896 dollars. It was built by a congregation of only 150 members because James N. Gamble matched every dollar contribution with five dollars of his own.

The first concrete sidewalks in Westwood were said to have been laid in front of James N. Gambles home on Werk Road. He also owned one of the first telephones in the neighborhood. He and his wife were instrumental in having street trees planted in Westwood, and his graciousness was legendary in in the community. He served as the last mayor of the Village of Westwood, and as such was involved in its transition to an annexed suburb of Cincinnati.

Future of the Property
The current owners of the propertythe Greenacres Foundationhave been developing a plan to bring environmental and agricultural programming to the grounds. The Greenacres Foundation is a non-profit, private, operating foundation established in 1988 by Louis and Louise Nippert (Mr. Nippert was the grandson of James N. Gamble). The Nipperts purchased Greenacres Farm in Indian Hill in 1949 with the desire to preserve the land for the education and enjoyment of future generations.

In their most recent newsletter (Winter 2009), the foundation provides a glimpse into their plans for the Gamble property, which would be transformed into a site for early childhood education programming. These plans do not include any use for the main house. In 2008 CPA presented the Greenacres Foundation with a Rehabilitation Award for their $3 million dollar restoration of the historic Fleischmann Estate in Indian Hill, which has been adapted for public use as part of their educational program in Indian Hill. CPA hopes a similar use can be found for the James N. Gamble House.

Other Historic Gamble Properties Across the U.S.
Other Gamble properties in the U.S. suggest ways the James N. Gamble House can be reused to benefit the community.

The Gamble House in Pasadena, California, is recognized worldwide as a masterpiece of the Arts & Crafts movement, The house and its furnishings were designed by Charles and Henry Greene in 1908 for David and Mary Gamble. A National Historic Landmark, it has been the subject of many architectural studies and is open for public tours. The house is owned by the City of Pasadena and operated by the University of Southern California.

In Port Orange, Florida, James N. Gambles grand Cracker home has been fully restored. All 175 acres were deeded to the Nature Conservancy of Florida in 1983. A National Historic Landmark, the estate is a popular cultural and ecological attraction and attracts tourists from around the world.

Community Efforts to Save the Home
Preservationists have been working to save the James N. Gamble House since the early 1990s. In late winter of 2010, the Westwood Historical Society nominated the house as a Cincinnati landmark. This designation would help protect the house from demolition and unsympathetic alterations. The landmark nomination received support from many community members as well as CPA, Heritage Ohio and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The nomination was approved by the Cincinnati Historic Conservation Board on March 8 and by the Cincinnati City Planning Commission on March 19. The next step is a vote by Cincinnati City Council, which has the final say in the matter.

CPA is working with Westwood preservationists on a proposal to preserve the James N. Gamble House for future generations. CPA believes a compatible use can be found for the house, which will ensure the future of this irreplaceable Cincinnati treasure. 

Join us in this important effort!