The Evanston Community is facing an attack on their history and their collective community identity. This time it involves the potential demolition of the Hoffman School located at 3060 Durrell Avenue to be replaced by a 155 unit multi-family new construction complex rather than reusing the school for residential which has happened with almost a dozen other former schools in the region. Please refer to the end of this post for information on how to get involved in preventing the demolition. The Hoffman  School was built in 1922 and is a     Jacobethan Revival design by the city’s most prominent architectural legacy, Hannaford and Sons. This was the firm that brought us icons like Music Hall, City Hall, and the Cincinnati Observatory. This was the firm that changed the landscape of Cincinnati. The building, while breathtakingly beautiful, is not just significant for its architecture, it is also representative of the Progressive Era Design for schools: with schools taking on a more holistic approach to the welfare of the students through physical education, access to light and air, and providing school lunches.

Further, the building has been a central nexus for the larger community for over 100 years. This is the school where the neighborhood children went to a Cincinnati public school until it closed in 2012. Since then, it has continued to operate in various community capacities, most recently as a non-profit school and church. The Evanston community is a diverse neighborhood with a rich history, especially associated with the Black experience. Hoffman School’s population, over its life, has reflected the demographics of the community. The demolition of the school will erase a site associated with the history of Cincinnati’s Black community.

Cincinnati Preservation Association is working with the Cincinnati community and developers to find creative reuses for our historic buildings. We want to work by partnering with neighborhoods to identify and protect the buildings, that if lost, would irrevocably change the fabric of the neighborhood. With early identification of significant buildings, developers won’t be surprised when demolition is met with community opposition.

Luckily Hoffman School has already been identified numerous times as a building that is significant.

• February 16, 2023 – Evanston community council voted against the demolition of Hoffman School
• 2019 – The Evanston Work Plan specifically listed the Hoffman School as an important site where Historic Landmark Status should be considered
• 2019 -National Register Questionnaire response from the State Historic Preservation Offices determined it was eligible for the National Register
• 1998 – Cincinnati Public Schools Historic Inventory list it as eligible for the National Register
• 1978 – Cincinnati Historic Resource Survey list is as a property that greatly contributes to the historic and/or architectural quality of the City of Cincinnati.
• 1977 – Ohio Historic Inventory Form list it is as National Register Eligible

So, why wasn’t landmark designation sought before this. Unfortunately, this is often how the story goes in preservation and it is why, going forward, we need to continue to support neighborhood and city-wide efforts to identify the historic and cultural resources that matter in each neighborhood. Cincinnati Preservation Association needs your support so we can continue to offer the ability to help write historic designations for Evanston and our other neighborhoods. These historic designations will protect our historic buildings from demolition. 

We are asking you to support the historic designation of Hoffman School and Site by writing letters to the City in support of the designation and by coming to public meetings and hearings to verbally show your support.

• To can write a letter of support to the Historic Conservation Board email urban.conservator@cincinnati-oh.gov by April 28^th for the letter to be included into the record.
• To write a letter of support to the City Planning Commission email Caroline.Kellam@cincinnati-oh.gov. A date for the hearing has not been set and we will update this post with due dates for letters of support.
• To write a letter of support to the Mayor and Council in support of the designation contact the City Council by emails CityCouncil@cincinnati-oh.gov

You can also find their individual information here. (https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/council/contact-us/)  

A date for the hearing has not been set and we will update this post with due dates for letters of support.

The first 2 meetings for the Historic Designation Process have been scheduled and we need your support at these meetings. If you are able to attend please be there to show your support for saving the Hoffman School and Site. We will continue to update you when the City Planning Commission and City Council meeting dates are scheduled.

Wednesday April 12, 2023 at 4:30– Staff Conference via zoom. Email Caroline.Kellam@cincinnati-oh.gov to attend by April 11, 2023.

Monday May 8, 2023 at 3pm– Historic Conservation Board via Zoom. Register by May 5th at

https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/buildings/hearings-appeals/registration-for-zoom-video-conferencing-participation-form/

Finally, please consider giving to Cincinnati Preservation Association so we can continue to support our neighborhoods as they work to save our shared resources. It’s our collective history, culture and places that make each of our neighborhoods unique and special for visitors and residents alike.

 

Since the mid-nineteenth century, women have been an important part of the historic preservation movement in the United States. As individuals and groups, as amateurs and professionals, women have worked to protect the country’s historic properties. Most credit the foundation of America’s preservation movement to Ann Pamela Cunningham who was appalled at the state of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Starting in 1853, she began advocating for its preservation. Through a campaign answered by women from across the country the Mt. Version Ladies Association was born and paved the way to the preservation of Washington’s home.

In the 1920’s, Susan Pringle Frost, founded the first community based historic preservation organization, first known Society for the Preservation of Old Dwellings which is now known as Preservation Society of Charleston. This organization was instrumental in persuading the City of Charleston to establish the first local zoning ordinance to protect historic resources.

At the Federal Level there were several individual acts dating back to the 1906 Antiquities Act that established focused avenues of preservation; however, in 1966 the establishment of the National Historic Preservation Act was established. This act was a national network and standard of preservation that created professional jobs at both the federal and state level to administer historic preservation initiatives nationwide. One of the early professional preservationists was Nancy Schamu who worked for the Maryland Historical Trust starting in 1969 and is considered a leader in the modern preservation movement.

Locally here in Cincinnati, our preservation foundations were also thanks to three civic-minded women. In 1964, Elizabeth Hobson, Martha Phyllis Rowe, and Margo Tytus founded the Miami Purchase Association with an initial focused on saving Fort Miami and quickly expanded to saving historic buildings. Miami Purchase Association, later renamed Cincinnati Preservation Association, was integral to establishing local historic districts and formal government preservation in Cincinnati.

Throughout the history of the preservation movement women have been integral locally and across the nation. Historic preservation is about more than saving windows in an old house or repairing a plaster molding; it’s about preserving any and all aspects of the history of a culture, where possible. Making sure that we honor the contribution of women to our history as well as to saving our history is one way for us to celebrate Women’s History Month.

Join Cincinnati Preservation Association at the Porch in Washington Park to hear about the stories that the historic buildings of Cincinnati tell in our new series called Preservation in the Park.

Grab a drink from the bar, sit back and let us tell you a story. 

First Tuesday of the month at 7pm on the Porch at 1230 Elm Street 

à     August 2, 2022- “The Little Theater That Saved Memorial Hall” by William Bauman

à     September 6, 2022- “Cincinnati Music Hall: Why Details Matter” by Thea Tjepkema

à     October 4, 2022- “Findlay Market: 170 Years” by Corporation for Findlay Market

 

             Presented by Cincinnati Preservation Association

              Sponsored by 3CDC

 

by Beth Johnson

“A large 4-story yellow hexagon on the side of a hill on a wooded lot overlooking a creek” is how I provide a quick description of my house when I first describe it to someone. After I get a look marked with confusion and intrigue, I often explain that this was the house and studio of Benjamin Dombar, a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright. He designed the home in the organic architecture style that he was taught from his time with Wright.

Throughout the house there are elements and influences from the midcentury modern style that was the prominent style of his practice. Buildings such as the Runnels House, Leiter House, and the Specklin House embody Dombar’s grasp of the mid-century Modern ideal, while remaining true to his foundations in organic architecture. (Modernnati has more examples of Ben Dombar’s work.) However, his own personal house was a celebration and an experiment in the values that Frank Lloyd Wright instilled in him during his apprenticeship.

When I first set eyes on the Dombar House and Studio and walked through the threshold, I didn’t yet know the history of the house, or of Ben Dombar, but I knew there was something amazingly special about this house. Upon deciding to pursue purchasing and rehabbing the house, I did what any good architectural historian and preservationist would do: I researched everything I could about Ben, his work and the house. I quickly discovered how important the house was to the Dombar legacy, and also to the community. The house embodied Dombar’s creativity, his devotion to his education under Wright, his inventive spirit, and his dedication to making his buildings functionally beautiful. While just looking at the house, I knew that it was architecturally unique, once the history behind the house was revealed to me, I also knew that the entirety of the house needed to be celebrated and honored.

The National Register of Historic Places was largely created for this exact purpose. The National Register is the nation’s official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. It was authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect our historic and archeological resources.

I knew as soon as I began planning for the rehabilitation of the property, that I would want to list this on the National Register of Historic Places and wanted to do as sympathetic of a rehabilitation as possible to maintain the integrity of the building, in order to help facilitate this listing.

The rehabilitation was completed in early 2018, the year the building turned 50 years old and could finally qualify for the designation. (You can see some interior photos in a story about the home in Cincinnati Magazine.) I started the process by sending in a National Register Questionnaire, a 2-page form that asks some basic and preliminary questions about the building to vet its potential eligibility for listing, to the Ohio History Connection, the State of Ohio’s Historic Preservation Office, to get a determination on the potential eligibility of the house.

After the review and confirmation that the Benjamin Dombar House and Studio was eligible, I began my deep dive into research. Using the National Register Bulletins and examples of other recently nominated modern era buildings, I built a framework for discussing and analyzing the history and significance of the house.

As each nomination is tailored to the history and significance of the individual building, each nomination needs to be tailored to the topics that support the significance of the building. For the Benjamin Dombar House and Studio, that included writing a detailed architectural description of the house, the history of the development of the Organic Architectural style and the style specifically in Cincinnati, as well as a discussion of Benjamin Dombar, his practice and specifically how this house fits into the context of the Organic Style and his overall practice.

As this was a personal project, I worked on it over weekends and evenings outside of my job as a historic preservationist. It took me about 3 months to fully research and write the nomination. Once I had the nomination submitted to the SHPO, it took approximately a year for it to go through the process to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

There is no fee to submit the nomination, but costs that may be incurred would be to contract with a consultant to write the nomination, as well as mapping and photography. These fees can vary depending on the site size, number of resources (buildings, structures, objects, etc.), the available research existing on the house and topics of significance, and location.

For example, with the Benjamin Dombar House and Studio, one of the main elements of significance were its association with Ben Dombar and its unique organic architecture. As there are no other organic architecture buildings listed in Cincinnati and no other Ben Dombar Houses listed in the National Register of Historic Places to reference, I was tasked with researching and writing the context and history of both of those topics to provide a basis to evaluate the significance.

This burden of research would not be required for someone who owns a house by Samuel Hannaford, for example, as his practice has been well studied and documented within the National Register, so a new nomination for a building designed by Samuel Hannaford would have the privilege of using the extant research for a justification of significance.

As the Benjamin Dombar House and Studio nomination involved a building in a style that is not common and by an architect whose work is just coming of age for eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places, the need for a greater basis of justification, research and documentation made the nomination open for more detailed evaluation. Luckily, as there had been very few alterations to the property except for some interior material changes, and the floor plans had remained unchanged, the property retained the high level of architectural and material integrity that is often needed for a building being nominated under the “architecture” category. Again, as each nomination focuses on the specifics of why that property or district is significant, the level of integrity is evaluated with a balance of other considerations, including its history, sense of place, and rarity.

As a professional Historic Preservationist, my life has been about saving and honoring historic buildings. With this particular building, I was able to save it from vacancy and foreclosure, and to rehabilitate and restore it to the intentions and designs of the architect and homeowner, Ben Dombar. While this building doesn’t have any local protections or designation on it, being able to list it in the National Register was a step I could take to recognize and celebrate the history of the building and its architect once it was saved from the immediate threat that vacancy and foreclosure had put on the house.

As this was also the first building by Ben Dombar to be listed, this specific nomination also helps to provide a basis and context for other Ben Dombar-designed buildings to be apply to be listed. Another important aspect of the property being listed is its protection, and the consideration of any future projects or expansions of the transportation network that surrounds this property. The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 requires that, anytime Federal funds are used, that the effect of historic resources is taken into account, and that there should be an attempt to avoid adverse impacts on those historic resources. As the Ben Dombar House and Studio is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the building has been established to be historic. This review is referred to as the Section 106 review process.

The documentation, celebration, recognition and protection through the Section 106 process are all important aspects and reasons to list a property in the National Register of Historic Places. However, through this whole process, I have realized that perhaps the most important reason has been the greater appreciation, pride and connection with my house and with the work of Ben Dombar that has rooted me in calling this house my home.

Beth Johnson is the incoming Executive Director of the Cincinnati Preservation Association. Read more about her appointment here.

by Karli Wood
photos courtesy of Spring Grove Cemetery image archive

When you’re hosting an out-of-town visitor and want to impress them, where do you go? A Reds game? Union Terminal? The Cincinnati Art Museum?

The first place that always comes to my mind is Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum. The most common reaction I get is a raised eyebrow with the response, “A cemetery?!”

But Spring Grove is so much more. This veritable “museum without walls,” tells the story of Cincinnati – and is where many of its most influential citizens reside.

In the mid-1800s, Cincinnati experienced an aggressive cholera outbreak. Local cemeteries were unequipped to handle the influx of deaths, leaving them crowded and unkempt.

Spring Grove was founded as the antithesis of this. The rolling, picturesque landscape became a destination for residents wanting to get away from bustling city life. With walking paths, stone bridges, islands, and wooded areas, Spring Grove was – and still is – its own Elysian Fields within Cincinnati.

Famed landscape architect Adolph Strauch had a huge part in making Spring Grove a peaceful haven. Strauch implemented a principle called the “lawn plan,” encouraging families to have one central large memorial, surrounded by footstones.

As mentioned, many of Cincinnati’s elite rest at Spring Grove – and as you walk through the cemetery, you can gain a sense of funerary history and customs. It’s like a journey back in time, giving you a glimpse into the lives of these extraordinary people.

Let’s explore a few iconic monuments and traditions that you can use as a scavenger hunt on your next visit:

FAMOUS MONUMENTS

Fleischmann Temple – Modeled after the Parthenon in Greece, this Doric temple is best-viewed from across the lake, where you can see it against the trees. It was built for the Fleischmann family – of Fleischmann yeast. The temple features a stained-glass portrayal of the Three Fates.

Dexter Mausoleum – The most iconic memorial in Spring Grove, the Dexter Mausoleum is often compared to Notre Dame, even though it’s modeled after Paris’ Sainte-Chapelle. The Dexter family were “bourbon barons,” in their time. The mausoleum features flying buttresses, spires, and 36 marble catacombs. Its construction would cost approximately $1.7 million in today’s money. Despite its grandeur, the mausoleum was never finished due to financial reasons. It was originally meant to feature an elevator and stained glass, which were never installed.

Charles West – An important figure in the founding of the Cincinnati Art Museum, Charles West is one of only a few life size statues in Spring Grove. The striking memorial shows West sitting in repose. The foundation of his memorial is flanked by caryatids of the four major aspects of the arts: architecture, sculpture, painting, and music.

Robinson Mausoleum – The Robinson family-owned Robinson’s Circus and made a lasting impact on the city. It was said that you could see their famed elephant Tillie plowing the field near their Terrace Park home. The Robinson’s have a number of circus family and staff buried in Spring Grove. This rough-hewn mausoleum features statues of Faith, Hope, and Charity.

FUNERARY TRENDS

Use of Marble – It’s rare that marble is used today in monuments and headstones due to its tendency to erode over time. A beautiful example of a marble monument is the Burnet Mausoleum. Senator Jacob Burnet and his family are interred in this unique monument. It is built into a hillside and the facade is Italian marble. Over time, it settled, sealing the doors permanently. The mausoleum originally had three steps, but only two are now visible.

Iconography – Iconography has evolved in cemeteries over time. A wonderful and pristine example of iconography is the McDonald mausoleum. It was built for Alexander McDonald, who was an investor in oil, banking and also served as the director of the Big Four Railroad. The doors of the mausoleum feature multiple bas relief symbols, including a winged heart and flame, a dove, a lamp, and an open book.

Statues – On a walk-through Spring Grove, you will see a large array of statues – everything from angels, busts, lions, a sphinx, and even a mermaid. It wasn’t uncommon to feature a statue of a woman in mourning: leaning on headstones or sitting on top of monuments. A fantastic hidden treasure of sculpture is the Gerrard mausoleum. Stephen Gerrard was an inventor known for creating the first refrigerated produce truck. If you walk up to the doors of this mausoleum and peer inside, you will find four marble statues depicting the four seasons.

Perpetual Care – An interesting and often unknown aspect of the cemetery is the idea of perpetual care. When a burial right is purchased, it is considered private property. This means that many of the mausoleums and monuments at Spring Grove are expected to be maintained by the families. The Huenefeld mausoleum is an example of perpetual care, a former option where the family purchased the ability for Spring Grove to maintain the mausoleum over time. This included pressure washing and resealing. The Huenefeld mausoleum remains in outstanding condition. There are rare exceptions where Spring Grove will intervene in the care of a monument. An extreme example was when the cemetery shored up the Dexter mausoleum when it began sliding backward toward the lake.

While the historic sections of Spring Grove serve as a time capsule starting in 1845, this cemetery is still very much an evolving landscape. It features over 700 acres and is still active and serving the local community.

The next time you’re itching to discover a unique locale with a friend, choose Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum. Despite its evolution of 177 years, it has maintained its status as a destination for reflection, escape, and relaxation. It’s far more than a cemetery – it’s a place of connection and a celebration of life.

Karli Wood is a volunteer with the Spring Grove Cemetery Docent Program. The mission of the Docent Program is to provide tours and programs focusing on art, history, architecture and horticulture. Through increasing the knowledge, excitement, and understanding of our visitors, the docents can enable the continued stewardship and cultural contributions of Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum.

Spring Grove’s tour season runs April through October. All public tours can be found in the events section of the website, and registration opens 30 days before each tour/event. Private tours are also offered, and those can be walking or tram, historical or horticultural. Please direct all tour queries to Ruth Reck at 513-853-4941 or rreck@springgrove.org.

Spring Grove also offers a free walking tour app! These self-guided tours start at the Customer Service Center near the entrance at 4521 Spring Grove Ave. and offer 3 options: History and Heritage (3-hour moderate 4-mile hike), Iconography (1.5-hour moderate 1-mile hike) and Stately Trees of the Grove (1-hour light 1.2-mile hike). Available for iPhone or Android.