Endangered Places
University YMCA Building Needs New Use For many years, the former University YMCA on Calhoun Street served the domestic and social needs of working-class UC students. Now this handsome Tudor Gothic building, a favorite of students and architecture buffs alike, needs to play a new role on campus. Built in 1929, the YMCA was designed as a high-quality example of Tudor Gothic, which originated in English medieval campuses and was revised in early-20th-century American campus planning. With its leaded glass, beamed ceilings and oak wainscoting, the building is an engaging version of a small Tudor manor house. The Y was designed by the prominent German-American architectural firm of Zettel & Rapp, who played a large role in Cincinnati architecture in the earlier 20th-century. The building was also the home of basketball standout Oscar Robertson during his four years at UC. Now owned by the University, the YMCA has been vacant for several years and needs major renovation and code upgrades. However, it is a still-sound structure that could serve a variety of functions on the campus. Like Old St. George to the east, it anchors Calhoun Street, which is rapidly being transformed by new development. In 2006, the University of Cincinnati received a grant from the Getty Foundation to create a plan to preserve its world-class collection of Modernist architecture, and to reconcile the campus’ late 19th- and early 20th-century structures with its contemporary buildings. The consultants working on the plan recommended that the University YMCA be preserved, along with the vacant and endangered Wilson Auditorium: an Art Deco landmark built in 1931. In the spring of 2008, Interior Design students from UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art & Planning studied reuse options for the building. On the Web: http://www.uc.edu/news/NR.asp?id=4155
Brewer’s Mansion Sold at Sheriff Sale Update: The century-old summer home of brewer Louis J. Hauck, located at 12171 Mosteller Road in Sharonville, sold at sheriff’s sale on Thursday, June 12 for $601,000. The buyer, a building contractor, is interested in renovating the property and preserving its historic character.The 7,200-square-foot, 18+-room mansion went on the market in April 2006 for $1.3 million as office or retail space. After the price was cut to $799,000 in March 2008—essentially the land value of its 3.6 acres—there was some interest in the property from potential buyers who were interested in teardown and redevelopment. The property is located in an industrial zone and is surrounded by light industrial and warehouse development. It was most recently used as a music school. The mansion was built in 1904 as a summer residence for Louis J. Hauck of the John Hauck Brewing Company. Louis was the son of John Hauck, who in 1864 founded the Dayton Street Brewery with partner John Windisch. The design of the stately Neo-classical Revival brick residence has been attributed to German-American architect Jacob J. Rueckert. Rueckert also designed the Chateauesque-style residence of Mrs. Emilie Hauck on Oak Street, now the home of the Mayfield Neurological Institute, as well as brewery buildings for John Hauck, Christian Moerlein, and Windisch-Mulhauser. The house presently has no landmark designation but is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, which would make federal tax incentives available for renovation. Donation of a preservation easement would provide permanent protection for the house and could result in tax savings for the donor. Date posted: June 12, 2008
Shaker-Built Bethany Hall in Danger
OTR’s ‘Big One’ in Danger
Five months after fire destroyed its towering twin steeples, Old St. George Church in Clifton Heights has taken the first steps toward recovery. Before the church’s owner, the Clifton Heights Community Urban Revitalization Corporation (CHCURC), can settle with the insurance company, they must determine how the spires can be rebuilt and at what cost. To that end, they have hired an engineering firm to investigate how to replicate the steeples with modern materials. In the meantime, sturdy tarps have been installed over the towers to prevent further damage. CHCURC is committed to preserving Old St. George and is exploring commercial reuse options. Finding an appropriate, viable and sustainable new use is crucial to preserving this Uptown landmark. A May 28 public forum on the future of the building, sponsored by the University of Cincinnati’s Niehoff Studio, drew many people who cared passionately about its future. Ideas suggested included turning the church building and attached monastery into a microbrewery, specialty store, entertainment venue, community center, or boutique hotel/conference center. Date posted: July 22, 2008
Update: Rothenberg Wins Reprieve Over-the-Rhine neighborhood advocates, supported by CPA, scored a major victory when the Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) made the decision to renovate rather than replace Rothenberg School. Built in 1914, the Tudor Revival brick building at Main Street and East Clifton Avenue was scheduled for demolition and replacement. But CPS reconsidered after finding that the cost savings of such a move would be minimal.
One of Rothenberg’s most intriguing features is a former rooftop playground, which is adorned with terra cotta plaques and offers spectacular views. The design team is trying to devise a new use for this wonderful space. While the design process proceeds, a new controversy has erupted over the possible demolition of nearby historic buildings for a gymnasium and staff parking. CPS purchased the three buildings, located on West McMicken behind the school, in 2007. Advocates are looking for alternatives that would allow for expansion while saving the buildings.
Updated: June 26, 2008
Lawrenceburg House Still on Indiana “Most Endangered” List Update: For the second year in a row, a Lawrenceburg mansion has been named one of the Hoosier State's most endangered historic properties by the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana (HLFI). The house was one of six properties making repeat appearances on the 2008 endangered list.
The house was built c. 1860 for Daniel Major, a prominent lawyer, real estate speculator, and business owner. Cincinnati architects Hamilton & Rankin created the fashionable Italianate mansion and sited it to impress passersby and offer the family a commanding view of the Ohio River. The house is widely known as Twin Bays, a reference to the distinctive bay windows on its main façade. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, Twin Bays has undergone remarkably little change since its Civil War-era construction. The house has been lovingly preserved on a 20-acre estate shaded by walnut and mimosa trees. A century and a half later, the house and its beautiful grounds are threatened by rampant sprawl development. According to HLFI, "The stretch of US 50 at the west edge of Lawrenceburg offers an ugly illustration of sprawl and its environmental impact. The hillside has been gouged away to create sites for the strip malls, cookie-cutter franchise buildings, and billboards that line the road." Twin Bays is the last landmark standing and the property is for sale. The house has no protection that would prevent a buyer from tearing it down to build yet another fast-food restaurant-a fate suffered in 2006 by the Art Moderne-style Eugene Poellman House. HLFI's 2007 "Most Endangered" list includes a wide array of irreplaceable sites across the state. For more information about Twin Bays, contact CPA at 513-721-4506 or HLFI's Southeast Field Office at 812-926-098, or visit www.historiclandmarks.org.
OTR Named to Most Endangered List Two years ago, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Over-the-Rhine (OTR) as one of its 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2006. The Most Endangered designation focuses national attention on Cincinnati's most historic and most troubled neighborhood. The vintage structures of the Over-the-Rhine district testify to the rich history of America's immigrant past. Little changed in more than 100 years, it has been a port-of-entry neighborhood to generations of people seeking a better life. OTR is also one of America's largest and most cohesive historic urban neighborhoods and boasts the largest collection of Italianate buildings in the county. As Cincinnatians are well aware, this priceless legacy is threatened by crime and disinvestment. An estimated 500 of OTR's 1,200 historic buildings are vacant or illegally occupied. Emergency demolitions, used as a tool to combat deteriorating conditions, further threaten the housing stock. Designation of Over-the-Rhine as one of America's most threatened historic places will aid the local Community Council and other organizations, including CPA, in their efforts to safeguard and revitalize the area. Only through a diverse, collaborative approach that includes urban planners, corporate and philanthropic organizations, and community groups and neighborhood residents and stakeholders, will it be possible to stop the deterioration of the buildings and improve the quality of life for area residents. "The residents of this area have persevered through misdirected urban renewal initiatives, controversy among diverse community groups, the inattention of city officials and the lack of a meaningful strategy for improvement," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust. "It is our hope that this designation will serve as a unifier, providing the impetus needed to bring various government, philanthropic and community groups together with the shared goal of improving living conditions for neighborhood residents and preserving a vital part of the city's-and America's-history." Over the past two years, OTR has seen positive new developments and new investment and a welcome decrease in crime and violence. But it faces ongoing problems with disinvestment (particularly of low-income housing stock) and demolitions. CPA continues to take an active role in OTR. Advocacy projects include support for the renovation of Rothenberg School, and a design charrette (co-sponsored by the Trust, the Architectural Foundation, and the Over-the-Rhine Foundation) to develop appropriate, green designs for infill projects in the neighborhood.
Since 1988, the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list has been one of the most effective tools in the fight to save America's irreplaceable architectural, cultural and natural heritage. The 11 sites chosen by the Trust each year are threatened by neglect, insufficient funds, inappropriate development or insensitive public policy. Updated: January 15, 2008
New Deal vs. New Housing in Greenhills Update: Greenhills on State Most Endangered List Preservation Ohio, a statewide nonprofit, has named the Greenhills Historic District to its list of the state’s most endangered historic resources. In the words of Preservation Ohio, “it represents an irreplaceable piece of Ohio and American history that clearly deserves a better fate.”Greenhills is one of three original “Greenbelt” towns: model communities planned and built by the federal government during the Great Depression. The listing came about because of concern over the loss of historic buildings in the historic district, which encompasses the original Greenhills plat. The village undertook an ambitious redevelopment program several years ago to try to address growing blight and disinvestment: familiar issues in “first suburbs.” The project targeted multi-family rowhouse and apartment buildings, many of which had seen years of hard use and were in need of repair. Village officials sought to replace them with new, single-family infill houses in the hope of attracting younger families. Over the past several years, officials have purchased 135 dwellings in multi-family townhouse buildings: 20% of the district's original 676 residential units. Of these, 52 units have been razed. The remaining purchased 77 units, some of which are vacant and deteriorating, face an uncertain future. While it appears that the large-scale redevelopment plan has been scaled back, there are no local controls to prevent piecemeal demolition of the remaining buildings, or to ensure that replacement housing is compatible with the historic district. Further losses could also result in de-listing of the district from the National Register. CPA, the Ohio Historic Preservation Office, the National New Deal Preservation Association, and Cincinnati Councilmember Roxanne Qualls sent letters of support for the endangered listing. Greenhills was featured prominently in the Society of Architectural Historians’ annual conference, held in Cincinnati in April 2008. CPA led two tours of the historic district, and participated in a symposium on preservation issues in the village. Tourgoers admired the village’s sophisticated plan, the careful siting of the buildings, the Modernist-inspired architecture, and the New Deal artwork. The Greenhills Historical Society, which has been an outspoken voice for preservation of the village, plans special events throughout the year in honor of the 75th anniversary of the New Deal. Web links: www.preservationohio.org www.greenhillshistoricalsociety.org www.greenhillsohio.org Updated July 2, 2008
One of Cincinnati's first Modern Movement houses is in danger of demolition. Located in Woodlawn, the Rauh House is a classic International Style residence, long, low and flat-roofed. Pristine white stucco covers the walls, and a steel railing encircles the second-story terrace. The house was built in 1938 for Frederick Rauh, a prominent insurance agent and his wife, Harriet Frank Rauh. In the words of architectural historian Walter E. Langsam, the house is "elegant, pale and cool" with interesting massing, fenestration and materials. Vacant for several years, the house is deteriorating and being vandalized; the surrounding trees have been bulldozed. Despite ongoing interest in the house, and repeated inquiries from potential buyers, it has not been sold. As of this writing there are no active renovation or demolition permits or condemnation orders on the building. The house and surrounding acreage formerly were listed with a realtor, but the listing has expired. The Rauh House is the "residential masterpiece" of John Becker, one of Cincinnati's pioneering Modernist architects. Becker may be best remembered in Cincinnati, however, as the husband of Marion Rombauer Becker, author of the popular Joy of Cooking series of cookbooks. In a sad parallel to the Rauh House situation, the Beckers' own residence, located in a once-peaceful area of Newtown, was destroyed for a housing development several years ago. The Rauh House was featured in the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Preservation Online in January 2006, which generated calls and emails from across the country. The house's plight was highlighted in the Summer 2006 issue of Renovation Style magazine, a Better Homes and Gardens publication. Closer to home, the house is also part of the award-winning "Endangered Cincinnati" exhibit, co-sponsored by CPA and the Betts House Research Center. The exhibit will be on display at Park + Vine, 1109 Vine Street, through February 22nd. On the Web: http://www.nationaltrust.org/magazine/archives/arc_911/013106.htm Date posted: January 23, 2008
UPDATE-New Hope for OTR's Kauffman Building After years of uncertainty, the future looks brighter for Cincinnati's most famous endangered building, the Kauffman Building in Over-the-Rhine. On April 11th, Cincinnati City Council voted to authorize $450,000 for the stabilization and exterior restoration of the Vine Street landmark. The funds will be used to stabilize the structure, install new subflooring and stairs throughout, and rebuild the roof. The façade, including the stonework and cornices, will be restored as closely as possible to the original design. Once the building is stabilized, a developer will be sought to complete the renovation. O.W. Taylor, L.L.C., will be in charge of the project, and is also in the process of purchasing the building. The Taylor firm, which is developing a reputation for successfully completing challenging projects, oversaw the award-winning restoration/reconstruction of the Odd Fellows Hall in Covington. They also recently renovated a group of dilapidated buildings at Liberty and Main streets in OTR. One of Cincinnati's first apartment houses, the Neo-Grec style Kauffman Building was built in 1876 as an investment for the owners of the Kauffman Brewery. Its architect was George W. Rapp, who also designed the Kauffman and many other Cincinnati breweries. The completed building was featured in the American Architect & Building News in May 1879. 
Historic Zone Proposed for Covington’s ‘Roebling Pointe’ Concerned about multiple threats to historic buildings in the Roebling Pointe entertainment district at the northern edge of Covington’s downtown, a citywide advocacy group called Progress With Preservation has proposed a historic overlay zone (local historic district) covering much of the area. Roughly bounded by East Third Street, Greenup Street, East Fourth Street and Park Place, the overlay zone would include about 50 buildings. This designation, which would impose controls on exterior renovation, demolition and new construction, is a top priority of Covington’s recently adopted Strategic Plan. Some blocks in the area are already part of National Register historic districts, or covered by development plans, but lack the additional protection an overlay would provide. The Pointe is Covington’s oldest business district, and includes some of the city’s oldest extant buildings. Landmarks include the restored Hermes Building (now Molly Malone’s), the Woodford Apartments, the Greek Revival-style Bradford Block, and the home of John W. Stevenson, Kentucky’s 25th governor. Two years ago, a controversial urban renewal plan proposed to level much of this area for a mixed-use residential and office development. Since then, some key buildings have been sold to sympathetic new owners, while many remain vacant. Last year, a developer proposed to level several historic buildings on East Third and Greenup streets, including the Governor Stevenson House, for a condominium project. A later version of this plan proposed taking down two historic houses on East Third Street, but not the Stevenson House. A height variance for the condos was approved in January; there has been no activity since then. At its meeting on July 15th, the Covington City Commission agreed to hold a public hearing on the proposed designation in the third week of August. Posted: July 22, 2008
Auburn Avenue Mansions to be Demolished? Two rare survivors of Auburn Avenue's Victorian heyday face an uncertain future. Located at Auburn Avenue and Glencoe Place, the high-style residences were built for wealthy and prominent industrialists in the mid-19th-century. Owned for many years by Christ Hospital, the houses are now vacant. To date the hospital has not made a decision about whether to renovate them or tear them down. A carved stone pillar bearing the name "Sunny Side" and the initials "W.H.D." marks the entrance to the William Howard Doane House at 2223 Auburn. The elegant Italian Villa was built c. 1850 for lumber magnate Jethro Mitchell, who sold it to Doane in 1879. Doane (1832-1915) was the president of the J.A. Fay Company, manufacturers of woodworking machinery. He patented 70 inventions and brought his company international renown. A great lover of sacred music, Doane also wrote hundreds of hymns that were translated and sung all over the world. The Henry Powell House at 2209 Auburn, a Second Empire-style brick residence, was built c. 1858 for industrialist Powell, founder of the Powell Valve Company in Camp Washington. The company, which eventually expanded into several plants, became the nation's leading manufacturer of industrial valves. The Doane House, which was renovated by the hospital in the 1980s, was used as medical offices and storage space until recently, when the tenants were removed because of mold contamination in the building. The house retains many original features, including an ornate mahogany staircase and central skylight. The Powell House has been empty for many years and is in deteriorated condition. Both buildings are part of locally and nationally designated historic districts, so any demolition or new construction must be approved by the Cincinnati Historic Conservation Board. Date posted: January 29, 2008 |
