Downtown Cincinnati History

Entries on This Tour

1. Historical Marker: George Washington Williams

Situated outside of the entrance to Union Baptist Church, this marker honors the remarkable life of George Washington Williams (1849-1891), a prominent African American figure of the second half of the 19th century. Williams, who died at the age of 41, was a Baptist minister, lawyer, soldier in the U.S. Army (he also served in Mexico), journalist, and historian. His most notable works are two books on African American history: "History of the Negro Race in America from 1619 to 1880" (published in 1882), and "A History of the Negro Troops in the War of the Rebellion" (published in 1888). Both were well received. Another of his writings, a open letter he wrote to King Leopold of Belgium in 1890 criticizing the brutality the people in the Congo—which was a Belgian colony at that time—suffered under Leopold's rule, earned him fame as well. Sadly, Williams died not long after he arrived in England to write a book about Africa.

2. Saint Peter in Chains Cathedral

Located across the street from City Hall, Saint Peter in Chains Cathedral is architecturally one of the more unique Catholic churches in the country. Built in 1845, its Greek Revival design, particularly in the interior, is quite striking compared to other churches built in the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries which were typically designed in the Gothic or Romanesque styles. The exterior features large Corinthian columnns at the entrance and a tall, 224 ft. high spire. Large bronze doors also highlight the entrance. Inside, Corinthian columnns line each side of the church. On the rear wall, behind the altar, is the largest Venetian glass mosaic in the country (35 ft. high and 40 ft. wide). It depicts a young Jesus Christ sitting on a throne. The church also possesses some unique and priceless items. One of these is a processional cross with a gold corpus created by Italian artist Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571) that was originally located in a private chapel in Florence, Italy. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

3. Plum Street Temple

Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975, the Plum Street Temple is one of the most unique and beautiful buildings in Cincinnati. It was built in 1866 as the third temple for the K.K. B'nai Yeshurun congregation, which formed in 1840 and is now called the Isaac M. Wise Temple. The congregation has two locations, the temple building and the Isaac M. Wise Center, which is located at 8329 Ridge Road.

4. William Henry Harrison Statue

This statue commemorates the ninth President of the United States, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841). Born in Virginia, he died from pneumonia a mere thirty-one days into his term. With his untimely demise, Harrison became the first U.S. president to die in office. He remains the shortest-serving president in American history. Prior to becoming president, Harrison served as an officer in the U.S. Army and represented his adopted state of Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Nearly fifty years after his death, a group of Cincinnati residents formed a commission with the intent of erecting a statue of Harrison in the city. The group initiated a design contest in 1886 and solicited submissions from artists. That same year, the Ohio General Assembly contributed $25,000 to the project. In 1887, the commission selected the proposal submitted by Louis Rebisso, an Italian-born sculptor who later settled in the city and taught at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. Dedicated in Piatt Park on May 30, 1896, the bronze equestrian statue depicts Harrison in full military garb, sitting upright on his horse. Scanning the horizon, he holds the reigns in his left hand, while his right holds his unsheathed sword at his side. The only equestrian statue in Cincinnati, it rests on a massive pedestal of Barre granite. Originally installed at the end of the park near Vine Street, the sculpture and its pedestal were moved to the park’s Elm Street end during renovations in 1988.

5. James A. Garfield Statue

Unveiled on December 1, 1887, this monument commemorates the twentieth President of the United States, James A. Garfield (1831-1881). A native of Ohio and U.S. Army general during the Civil War, he served for nine terms in the U.S House of Representatives as a Republican before being elected president in 1881. Less than four months after his inauguration, on July 2, 1881, Garfield was shot twice by Charles Guiteau, a disgruntled officer seeker, while waiting at a train station in Washington, D.C. For several weeks, he languished in pain as doctors unsuccessfully searched for one of the projectiles. Riddled with infection from the countless unsterile examinations, he passed away on September 19. In the wake of Garfield’s death, the City of Cincinnati moved to erect a statue of him in the city, and in 1883 commissioned Cincinnati-born sculptor Charles Henry Niehaus to design it. Paid for by public subscriptions, the bronze statue depicts Garfield standing, dressed in a suit and overcoat. Holding a stack of papers in his right hand and gesturing with his left, he looks out onto the horizon as if about to deliver a speech. Originally, the sculpture rested on a tall pedestal in the middle of the intersection of Eighth and Race Streets. After nearly three decades of frustrating motorist and buggy drivers, the statue was moved inside Eighth Street Park (now Piatt Park), a short distance from the intersection, and placed on a new, shorter pedestal. In 1988, when the park underwent renovations, the statue was moved to its current location at the park’s Vine Street end.

6. Historical Marker: Elizabeth Blackwell

This marker commemorates the pioneering life and work of physician Elizabeth Blackwell. Born in 1821 in Bristol, England, Elizabeth was the first woman in American history to earn a fully accredited medical degree. She achieved this milestone in 1849 from Geneva Medical College in New York City. She also advocated for the education of women in medicine as well as other causes such as abolition. Her sister Emily was the third woman in the country to receive a medical degree. Along with her sister and another female doctor, Elizabeth opened a hospital called the Infirmary for Women and Children in 1857. Eventually, she established a medical college for women there in 1867. She died in Sussex, England in 1910.

7. Historical Marker: Military Roads

Situated in a median on Main St. and Central Parkway, this marker is one of a series called the Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission Historical Markers. The series marks the location of old military roads dating to the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 that have now become modern roads. This marker states that Reading Road (one block to the north) and Central Parkway were two such military roads. The top of the marker features a carved metal depiction of marching troops accompanied by a wagon.

8. Arnold's Bar and Grill

Simon Arnold opened his tavern in 1861 in a building that once housed a barber shop and a feed store. During Prohibition, Arnold’s added a kitchen and was converted to a café. Though selling alcohol was illegal at the time, folk legends say that Arnold used the bathtub on the second floor to make gin (the tub remains a piece of folklore today). Arnold’s family lived upstairs from the tavern, which was family owned for ninety-eight years until Jim Tarbell bought it and expanded the courtyard to host the first outdoor dining location in downtown Cincinnati in decades. Arnold’s Bar and Grill is now a popular destination and is frequently touted as one of the best dining locations in Cincinnati.

9. Cincinnati Riots of 1836

As Blacks escaped slavery in the Southern States, they fled to the North, to cities like Cincinnati where they ended up competing with whites for jobs. Tensions between pro-slavery whites and abolitionist whites provoked riots to break out in the months of April and July. Pro-slavery whites attacked both Blacks and whites who were giving support to the former slaves.

10. St. Francis Xavier Church

Built in 1861, St. Francis Xavier Church is an excellent example of Gothic architecture. It is administered by the Society of Jesuits (whose priests are referred to as Jesuits). A 1987 renovation transformed the interior of the church from a dull beige color to a lively blue and white color combination. The interior also features a large mural painted by Cincinnati artist Charles C. Svendsen, the windows contain colorful stained glass depicting various religious motifs and figures such as the church's namesake St. Francis Xavier, and various marble statues. The congregation consists of Catholics who come from 105 zip codes including northern Kentucky. The parish provides many social and community service activities for congregants. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

11. Henry Boyd Home Site

Henry Boyd escaped slavery by buying his freedom at the age of 18. Born on a plantation near Paris, Kentucky on April 12, 1802, Boyd would go on to start a successful business, buy and sell property, and help others gain their freedom. He moved to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1826 where he created the H. Boyd Company and raised his family.

12. Historical Marker: Stephen C. Foster

This marker commemorates the brief and tragin life of Stephen C. Foster (1826-1864) who became America's first professional songwriter. Some even consider Foster as the "father of American music" owing to his creation of uniquely American melodies such as "Camptown Races" and "My Old Kentucky Home." Although many of his songs featured nostalgia for the American South, Foster was a northerner who only crossed the Mason-Dixon Line one time in his thirty-eight years of life. He lived in a house at this location between 1846-1850. His songs were inspired by the work of Dan Rice, a white performer who rose to fame by painting his face Black and performing bufoonish rituals meant to unite his white audience and reinforce their belief that they were superior to African Americans. Many of Foster's lyrics reflected the orientation of Rice's performances. And while American audiences continue to sing Foster's songs, it is important to note that some of the lyrics have been altered to remove their explicitly racist message.

13. Monument for Cincinnati's Historic Fort Washington

This small Cincinnati monument commemorates the historic site of Fort Washington, one of the most important forts of the late 18th century to be constructed in the Northwest Territories. Erected in 1789, the fort was used by traders and troops and was an important center for diplomacy and trade with area tribes. The fort also served as a way for the United States to stake a claim to this land and as a military installation to support troops and traders who both fought with and against several tribes in the area, particularly the Wabash and Miami. Used by Governor Arthur St. Clair and General Josiah Harmar as their base of operations, Fort Washington was critical in the western expansion of the United States until its decline and finally abandonment in 1804. A monument stands in its place just south of E. 4th St. on Arch St.

14. Abraham Lincoln Statue

This statue commemorates the sixteenth President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). As president from 1861 to 1865, he shepherded the nation through the Civil War, while also issuing the Emancipation Proclamation and helping to pass the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution through Congress. On the evening of April 14, 1865, less than a week after Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, Lincoln was shot by southern sympathizer John Wilkes Booth while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. He died early the next morning. Roughly half a century later, Cincinnati lawyer, media mogul, and older brother of former U.S. President William Howard Taft, Charles Phelps Taft commissioned sculptor George Grey Barnard to create a statue of Lincoln to be given as a gift to the city. The project took Barnard five years to complete, during which time he closely studied Lincoln’s life masks and casts of his hands. He even found a six-foot-four farmer from Kentucky to serve as a model. Dedicated on March 31, 1917 in Cincinnati’s Lytle Park, the larger-than-life-sized bronze statue depicts Lincoln standing with his hands crossed, staring into the distance. Approximately 20,000 people turned out to see the dedication ceremony, which featured a parade and a speech delivered by former U.S. President William Howard Taft. The sculpture’s heightened realism—Lincoln’s large hands and feet, the creases on his thin beardless face, the wrinkles in his clothes—drew intense criticism from people across the country, including the subject’s eldest and only surviving son, Robert Todd Lincoln.

15. Taft Museum of Art

Housed in the Baum-Longworth-Sinton-Taft House, the Taft Museum of Art hosts traveling exhibitions that tend to focus on American art and history. As a result, the Taft Museum complements the works and collections on display at the nearby Cincinnati Museum of Art. The building that houses the museum is itself a work of art and an important piece of American history. Built in 1820 for Martin Baum, it is the area’s oldest residential wooden building still in its original location. The museum’s co-founder, Anna Sinton Taft, lived in the mansion with her husband Charles Phelps Taft—half-brother of President William Howard Taft—from 1837 until their deaths in 1929 and 1931, respectively. In 1927, the Tafts passed their home and private art collection to the people of Cincinnati. The house opened as the Taft Museum in 1932.

16. Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus Monument

This monument depicts the famed ancient Roman figure, Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, for whom the city of Cincinnati is named. The man responsible for giving the city its name was Arthur St. Clair (1737-1818), the first governor of the Northwest Territory during the late 18th century. He did so in 1790, establishing Hamilton County and changing the name of the town inside it, then called Losantiville, to Cincinnati. He also designated Cincinnati as the county seat. St. Clair belonged to an organization called the Society of the Cincinnati, whose initial members were officers of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. The Society, which is still in existence today, promotes the ideals of the of the war and the fellowship of its members. It is a hereditary organization but it also includes honorary members who support its goals.

17. Pete Rose Way

On September 12, 1985 the decision to change Second Street to Pete Rose Way was made. This decision led to some controversy due to the fact that usually the person it was being named after was supposed to be deceased for a year or more. This decision also upset doctors who have been trying to get something in the city named after Dr. Albert B. Sabin. Dr. Sabin, also from Cincinnati, discovered the oral polio vaccine and he has been considered for a naming since 1982. Other than those infractions, people were glad that their local baseball hero was being honored in such a way. This naming took place just a day after Pete Rose hit his 4,192nd hit to beat the major league record. This street also runs by two important stadiums in Cincinnati which are the Great American Ball Park where Pet Rose played and by Paul Brown Stadium where the Cincinnati Bengals play.

18. Historical Marker: Salmon Portland Chase

This marker honors the life and legacy of Salmon Portland Chase (1808-1873), who most notably served as the Secretary of the Treasury under Abraham Lincoln and was the 6th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1864-1873). He was born in New Hampshire in 1808. He attended Cincinnati College from 1822-1823 and eventually graduated from Dartmouth College (in New Hampshire) in 1826. He was admitted into the bar and set up a practice back in Cincinnati. He became known for his staunch abolitionist beliefs and defended runaway slaves and those who harbored them. Chase's political career began as a city councilman in 1840, and would become a Senator (1849-1855) and after that the first Republican governor (1856-1860) of Ohio. As Treasury Secretary, Chase established the nation's first national bank, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (now the IRS), and introduced the first paper currency. He vied for the nomination to be Republican candidate for president but lost to Lincoln. Chase also helped organize what was called the Free Soil Party, which advocated for abolition of slavery; it was gradually incorporated into the Republican Party. Chase died of a stroke in 1873

19. Riverfront Stadium (Cinergy Field) 1970-2002

Completed in 1970, Riverfront Stadium served as the home of the Cincinnati Reds from 1970 until the opening of Great American Ball Park in 2002. With the proliferation of automobile use in conjunction with shifting demographics and a rising crime rate surrounding the site of the Reds former home Crosley Field, the Reds' ownership made the decision to design a new ballpark and close the existing stadium. Team owner Bill Dewitt entertained an offer to move the team to San Diego in the 1960s, a move that prompted local investors to make a bid for the team. The Reds were the first professional team in baseball history, so the effort to ensure that the Reds stayed in Cincinnati received public support. These investors made sure to utilize this support to help secure funding for the construction of a new stadium. Riverfront Stadium was built between 1968 and 1970 and opened with a seating capacity of 52,952 and a parking garage that held 2,500 cars.

20. Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum

The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum was first established in 1958 by the MLB franchise, The Cincinnati Reds. The Reds Hall of Fame is the largest team hall of fame in all of baseball and is a place where Reds baseball comes alive each day. It was started as a way to commemorate the players, management, and moments in Red's history. Plan your visit today and enjoy family fun for all ages, including ball park tours which are available during certain seasons.

21. National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Opened in 2004, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center was created as a response to the 2001 race riots that shook the city of Cincinnati and showed the persistence of racism in American life. A museum funded largely by corporate donations and designed to promote racial reconciliation, the museum emphasizes (and perhaps over-emphasizes) the interracial cooperation of white and Black abolitionists that was both rare and crucial to the eventual end of slavery. Although the majority of abolitionists and "conductors" of the Underground Railroad were Black, the focus of many of the museum's displays focuses on the more familiar histories of white abolitionists. The Freedom Center is certainly one of the finest museums of African American history in the country, with outstanding displays about the creation of slavery and the efforts of white and Black Americans who took an unpopular stand against it. Visitors are simply encouraged to consider the displays within the historic context that led to the founding of the museum.

22. Historical Marker: The Burnet House

Between 1850 and 1926 where this office building now stands was once one of the world's finest hotels: The Burnet House. Several prominent figures of the 19th century stayed at the hotel including Abraham Lincoln (on two occasions, once in 1859 when he was campaigning for the Ohio Republican Party, and the other in 1861 when he was on his way to inauguration as President), Henry Clay, James Buchanan, and Horace Greeley, the founder of the New York Times. In 1862 after the Civil War battle at Shiloh, the hotel served as a hospital for wounded troops. The hotel is also notable for the meeting on March 20, 1864 between Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Tecumseh Sherman who discussed their military campaign strategies against the Confederacy in what would be the last year of the war. The hotel closed in July 1926 was demolished soon after.

23. The Netherland Plaza Hotel

The Netherland Plaza Hotel was built between 1929 and 1931 and quickly became the center of Cincinnati's social scene with its French Art Deco architecture and an interior filled with frescoes and murals. The hotel is also part of the Carew Tower Shopping Arcade and Office Tower complex which includes dozens of retail stores and restaurants in addition to office space. The Netherland Plaza became a National Landmark in 1985 and is also a member of Historic Hotels of America.

24. The Cincinnati Race Riot of 1841

The beginning of September of 1841 in Cincinnati, Ohio brought race riots that lasted for days. An altercation that happened in a candy store eventually led to a mob of 1,500 white men descending on Cincinnati’s Black population of just over 2,000 citizens. The Black men of the community fought back though, and upon seeing their resistance, the white men began firing iron shrapnel from a cannon into the homes and business of Black citizens. Instead of arresting the white rioters, the police instead arrested every Black man in the city. After all of the Black men were in custody, the white mob attacked again, only this time they were attacking businesses and homes that were occupied only by unarmed women and children. The mob destroyed an abolitionist press, the Philanthropist, and threw it in the Ohio River. This time, with the help of militia, around 40 white men were arrested.

25. Historical Marker: Kennedy Speech

This historical marker indicates the location of the platform (right on the sidewalk) on which President John F. Kennedy gave a speech on October 5, 1962. In the speech he urges Ohioans to elect Democratic representatives to help further progressive goals in health care, housing, education, and employment. Kennedy did not speak long, for only about 9 and a half minutes. A link to a recording of the speech can be found below.

26. Potter Stewart United States Courthouse

Named after Cincinnati native and Supreme Court Justice, the Potter Stewart United States Courthouse was built in 1938 and is a fine example of Art Deco and Art Moderne architecture. It houses the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The interior features include the two-story main lobby, the original elevator lobby with decorative aluminum elevator doors, and the original wood paneling in the courtroom. The rest of the space—440,000 square feet—is available for rent. Potter Stewart (1915-1985) was actually born in Michigan while his family was on vacation. He served as a Supreme Court Justice from 1958-1981. The building is situated next to Fountain Square, a small public park where several presidents, including Abraham Lincoln, had visited. The courthouse was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

27. Tyler Davidson Fountain-Genius of Water Fountain Square Cincinnati

The Genius of Water was a tribute to the importance of water in the development of the city of Cincinnati commissioned by Henry Probasco as a tribute to his brother-in-law and business partner Tyler Davidson. The men became wealthy from their Cincinnati-based hardware stores and were grateful to the city of Cincinnati. The Ohio River played a significant part in developing the country and the commerce of the country. The fountain is a tribute to the Ohio River and the significance or importance of water. The fountain was dedicated in October of 1871 and features drinking fountains at the base. The fountain is inscribed with the words "To the People of Cincinnati" and is one of the most beautiful fountains in the world. The fountain is a symbol of Cincinnati and is nicknamed "The Lady." A miniature replica fountain is on display at the Cincinnati Art Museum

28. Contemporary Arts Center

Officially called the Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art, the center opened in 2003. Designed by the late Zaha Hadid, the New York Times declared it to be the "the best new building since the Cold War.” It features 16,000 square feet of exhibition space, another exhibition, and educational space called the "UnMuseum.” It also offers musical concerts, theatrical performances, artist talks, workshops, and school programs.

29. Old Main Public Library, 1874-1955

Prior to the construction of the city library at 8th and Vine, this was the location of the main public library. The Old Main Public Library served the community from 1874 to the early 1950s and the building was demolished in 1955.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Downtown Cincinnati History

Created by Brad Bailosky on July 6th 2023, 1:49:07 pm.

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Description

This walking tour includes historic buildings, churches, markers, monuments, and museums, as well as significant historic events that occurred in downtown Cincinnati. From historical markers to diverse Cincy residents from Stephen Foster to Elizabeth Blackwell, along with sites related to the early history of the city, slavery and abolition, the Civil War, and historic businesses, this tour winds through the downtown area and concludes at the Freedom Center. Enjoy!

Entries on This Tour

Downtown Cincinnati History

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