Welcome to Digging Cincinnati History! If you are looking for information on a history report for your home or building, you can check out my Reports page . For more information about me, click here and check out some local news stories about my work. My book, Finding Your Home's Ancestors , is available through Amazon, and at many Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library locations. If you have…
Recently I asked my Facebook followers for Cincinnati history questions that they would like to have answered. The response has been great but this one had me stumped for a bit... Peggy shared this image and asked, "Any idea what this means?" At first I did a Google Lens search, which brought up this listing:…
This beautiful building on Eastern Avenue, near the Beechmont Viaduct, is now home to BrewRiver Creole Kitchen , but it has a long history of serving those travelling along Eastern Avenue. It is actually two buildings, which you can see in the second photo. The rear portion of the building is the oldest part, likely built around 1867, when it was purchased by John William Schrimper, a German…
After reading my post about the old farmhouse in Winton Woods, a follower asked about why Winton Road changes to South Gilmore above I-275, and why Mill Road changes to Winton Road. For anyone (including me as a lost teenager driver in the 1980s), this can be very confusing! The simple answer - the county line between Hamilton and Butler Counties. But there just had to be a bit more reasoning...…
I am a big fan of Great Parks of Hamilton County, and my family tries to camp at Winton Woods at least once a year, ever since I was little. We also enjoy their hiking trails, walking/biking trail, and their many picnic areas. Parky's Farm is a great experience for all ages, and I even remember a school field trip to the old Parkour Trail (does that still exist?)! 2019; Google Street View But I…
Our continuing tour of local breweries took us this week to Fibonacci Brewing Company, on Compton Road in Mt. Healthy. When a brewery features amazing beers AND an old house, it’s a perfect match for me! So of course, I had to do a bit of digging on the history… Turns out this home could date from the 1850s, as I found a mention of the house being completed as part of a lease agreement from 1851.…
Cincinnati Times-Star; Aug 16, 1929; p. 24 Bald Knob, Picturesque Hill, Playground of Thousands, Is Being Pulled Asunder By Charles Ludwig Picturesque playground of thousands, beautiful, romantic Bald Knob, that thrusts its craggy head like a bleak promontory into the city’s northwestern skyline, is being torn down! Its lovers’ lane has been destroyed – men with scythes have cut down the charming…
You may have heard of Bald Knob, and how it was used as infill for the development of Union Terminal, but did you know there is also a connection to the abolition movement and early Cincinnati horticulture? A friend recently posted this image of Bald Knob, which is the hill at the southwest end of the Western Hills Viaduct in South Fairmount. I ended up down a rabbit hole and discovered so much…
What do Music Hall and the former P&G Ivorydale Plant have in common? They were both partially built on former burial grounds! Falling down rabbit holes of research is just about an everyday occurrence for me. While I was researching more about the development of Ivorydale as a planned community, I discovered more about the land where the plant was built. This land was purchased by an early…
While researching in the West End today, I got curious about where the original Procter & Gamble factory stood. Many Cincinnatians are familiar with Ivorydale, the huge 50+ acre complex near St. Bernard. However, the original factory was built in the mid 1840s and was located on eastside of Central Avenue (then called Western Row) between York and Dayton Streets. It backed to up the canal, which…
Often identified with the Cincinnati girl turned silent film star Theda Bara, this house stood at the corner of Ledgewood Drive and Victory Parkway from 1924 until 2011. But did you know there is no evidence that she ever owned or resided here? Deed records show the lot was purchased by May Droesch in 1923, and plans for the Spanish-style home were made shortly after. Droesch was a real estate…
Do you remember the Deaconess Hospital, that was at the corner of Clifton Avenue and Straight Street? Did you know the hospital was actually started in Liberty Street (now Liberty Hill) in the Over-the-Rhine/Prospect Hill neighborhood? Google Street View; July 2022 Founded in 1888, the hospital was located in one half of a two-sided single family home. The home was built in the late 1850s for the…
A follower recently reached about a curious-looking building on Court Street, seemingly out of place as compared to the surrounding buildings. Google Street View Nov. 2020 It clearly is different from the typical Italianate style that is more common in downtown and Over-the-Rhine. I took a look at the Sanborn Insurance Maps from 1891 and 1930, and discovered some significant changes: 1891 Map…
Local Facebook history groups are talking about this building at 616-628 Race Street, slowly revealing it's hidden history. Photo courtesy of Scott Beseler I had the pleasure of the inside scoop on these buildings (yes, actually two buildings, bricked together), when Sara Bedinghaus, of 3CDC, reached out to me last summer to help solve a mystery. The front of the building looked very 1940s-1950s,…
I recently was working on a project for a client and while I was digging through old photos, I came across these two in the digital library at the University of Cincinnati. This was the Citizens' National Bank building that stood on the southeast corner of Fourth and Main Streets. Of course I had to know more! Before this building was constructed, this corner was occupied by four brick buildings…
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This beautiful home recently hit the market and I was happy to provide the house history to the listing agent, Bill Draznik . This home was built in 1885 for George H. Grimmelsman, and designed by architect Theodore Richter . Early in his career, Richter worked with other well-known Cincinnati architects such as James McLaughlin, Edwin Anderson and George Rapp. By the time this house was…
This amazing home just came on the market! It hasn't been for sale for over 55 years. What a rare opportunity to own a historic and amazing home. Be sure the check the interior photos by clicking here. Cincinnati Enquirer, Tuesday, August 11, 1891; p. 5 This home was completed in 1892 and designed by Lucian F. Plympton for Albert Day Fisher. Fisher was a very successful grain merchant who was born…
This photo on Instagram from cincinnati_revealed inspired me to dig a bit into the history of this home. cincinnati_revealed on Instagram While the Hamilton County Auditor has the year built as 1865, it turns out that part of this home are much older (1830s) and built by one of the founding families of Hamilton County. As I started my digging, I found a wonderful article in the Cincinnati Enquirer…
Thanks to my Facebook followers for helping to choose a house for my presentation to the Coleraine Historical Society . This home is one of the oldest in Colerain Township according to a search with the Hamilton County Auditor. Hamilton County Auditor The Auditor's site has the build date as 1831 and I wanted to confirm whether this date was accurate, so I first took a look at some old maps. I…
I have had my eye on this property for years to really dig into its history. Now I see the property is being sold as land , which tells me the house may not be standing for too much longer. So now it is time to tell its story before it is gone. Cincinnati, a Guide to the Queen City and Its Neighbors; Writers' Program; 1943 The quote above caught my eye over three years ago. I thought surely other…
This is a long overdue blog post! I hope you enjoy reading the history of this house, mostly known for being the home of Ruth Lyons and her husband Herman Newman. When this house went on the market earlier this year, I was surprised to see the year built is listed as 1865! So I had to dig more into the history of this home. 5205 Colerain Avenue - Photo from Motz Real Estate Let's go back in time…
My photographer friend, Tim Jeffries, took this picture a few weeks ago and I just had to learn more about this home. Heis Avenue, Mt. Washington by Tim Jeffries I found this home was mentioned as being recently restored in the Mount Washington Comprehensive Plan. They also called it the "Mears House" so this gave me some information to start with. The Hamilton County Auditor lists the year built…
Finding old pictures of your property can be quite difficult, unless your property is located near a landmark, owned by a famous Cincinnatian or located in a prominent neighborhood. There are a few websites worth searching just in case. If you do not find any success, try locating living family members of former owners. Perhaps photos were taken of the home and are hiding in someone’s attic. Using…
Another repeat client recently adopted this building from OTR A.D.O.P.T. He wanted to know more about the history of the building that has stood at this corner of Vine, Findlay and McMicken for more than 160 years. Google Streetview, August 2014 Source Commonly known as the Apotheke Building, because of the sign that was saved on its south facing facade, it appears from my research that it was…