Ohio’s first auto-oriented (strip) mall, Greenhills Center, was built in 1938 as part of the federal government’s New Deal greenbelt towns project. In 1951, work began on the city’s first modern-style shopping mall, the open air Swifton Center in Bond Hill. The region’s first enclosed shopping center, Kenwood Mall, was built in 1966. Two years later, an open-air mall previously built in 1960 in Springdale was enclosed to create Tri-County Mall. The fascinating stories of these community destinations continue to evolve today.
We will discuss the history and context of 20th century suburban development and commerce in Cincinnati and the need to preserve the cultural importance of these uniquely modern social gathering places. And we will hear about exciting plans for the adaptive use and reinvention of shopping malls as sustainable communities of the future.
Speakers:
Beth Johnson, Executive Director of Cincinnati Preservation Association
David G. Wallace, CEO of DGW Consultants
Saturday October 22, 2022 at Cohatch Kenwood, 7875 Montgomery Rd Suite 42, Cincinnati, OH 45236
10:00am – Refreshments
10:30am – Presentations
11:45am – Q&A
Presented by Cincinnati Form Follows Function (CF3) in collaboration with Cincinnati Preservation Association (CPA) and with support from COhatch Kenwood, AIA Cincinnati and APA Cincinnati.
02/17/2022 Cincinnati Preservation Association introduces a new website/app titled Cincinnati Sites and Stories which lets visitors explore the people, places, and moments which have shaped Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky’s history.
In honor of Black History Month, the website’s initial collection, Sites and Stories of Black History, is designed to preserve collective memory by recognizing the African American milestones and movements that have shaped Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
The site includes such stories like that of the Fossett family, former enslaved people at Thomas Jefferson’s plantation, who moved to Cincinnati. Learn how an incident in 1860 on a streetcar prompted Sarah Fossett into a fight to desegregate public transportation in Cincinnati. Or dive into the history of King Records and how rock and roll created in a brick building in Evanston crossed racial lines and revolutionized American music. As part of CPA’s Sites of Black History project, the stories in this collection will present the area’s rich Black history through text, photographs, and multimedia.
Visitors will also be able to explore Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky history via virtual tours such as Union Baptist Cemetery Tour. The tours will allow visitors to explore the sites and stories online.
This interactive website/app will be continually updated and expanded in the future with other curated collections about Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky’s historic sites and stories. Cincinnati Preservation is collaborating on content with scholars and other organizations throughout the region. CPA researcher Deqah Hussein-Wetzel, is organizing the data and writing about sites of Black history.
The project currently has thematic articles that identify, document, and publicize the significant Black history on both sides of the Ohio River. Examples of themes include Civil Rights, religious spaces, educational institutions, civic organizations, urban planning and design, architecture, parks and recreation, entertainment, neighborhoods and districts, industry, and business.
CPA Board Member Dr. Eric Jackson, Professor of History and Director of the Black Studies Program at Northern Kentucky University notes that “This new mapping tool, particularly with a focus on the history, culture, and experiences of African Americans in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, will show that despite numerous obstacles and against seemingly insurmountable odds, African Americans made a significant contribution in many fields, ranging from music, medicine, education, performing arts, poetry, and athletics.”
