Mount Auburn Historic District
Encyclopedia
Mount Auburn Historic District is located in the Mount Auburn neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio
. It extends along both sides of Auburn Avenue roughly between Ringold Street and William H. Taft Road.
The District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
on March 28, 1973 (No. 73001464). Mount Auburn was founded as a hilltop retreat for Cincinnati's social elite where wealthier people could escape the dirt, heat, smoke and crowded conditions of the lower city. Ornate historic mansion
s with incredible panoramic views still reflect this heritage.
The district contains notable houses of Federal
, Greek Revival, Italian Villa
, Romanesque Revival, and Georgian Revival
styles. The houses date from 1819 to the turn of the century and are associated with the prominent Cincinnatians. Noted residents include President William Howard Taft
.
ted as a town in 1837. By 1842, it extended from Liberty Street (Liberty Street got its name because the city laws were not enforced north of it and it was the location of the "northern liberties" – gambling, drinking and carousing) to McMillan Street (note that the historic district only goes as far south as Ringold street, the rest of the Mount Auburn neighborhood to the south is the Prospect Hill Historic District
).
"Key’s Hill" was the original name for Mount Auburn. It is one of Cincinnati's Seven Hills
.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. It extends along both sides of Auburn Avenue roughly between Ringold Street and William H. Taft Road.
The District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on March 28, 1973 (No. 73001464). Mount Auburn was founded as a hilltop retreat for Cincinnati's social elite where wealthier people could escape the dirt, heat, smoke and crowded conditions of the lower city. Ornate historic mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
s with incredible panoramic views still reflect this heritage.
The district contains notable houses of Federal
Federal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
, Greek Revival, Italian Villa
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
, Romanesque Revival, and Georgian Revival
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
styles. The houses date from 1819 to the turn of the century and are associated with the prominent Cincinnatians. Noted residents include President William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
.
History
Mount Auburn was platPlat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted as a town in 1837. By 1842, it extended from Liberty Street (Liberty Street got its name because the city laws were not enforced north of it and it was the location of the "northern liberties" – gambling, drinking and carousing) to McMillan Street (note that the historic district only goes as far south as Ringold street, the rest of the Mount Auburn neighborhood to the south is the Prospect Hill Historic District
Prospect Hill, Cincinnati, Ohio
Prospect Hill is a historic district located on a hillside outside of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Mount Auburn neighborhood of Cincinnati...
).
"Key’s Hill" was the original name for Mount Auburn. It is one of Cincinnati's Seven Hills
Seven hills
-Places that have seven hills:1.the Seven hills of Istanbul 2.the Seven hills of Rome 3.the Seven hills of Moscow 4.the Seven hills of San Francisco 5.the Seven hills of Seattle 6.the Seven hills of Iaşi...
.
Buildings and Sites
- William Howard Taft National Historic SiteWilliam Howard Taft National Historic SiteWilliam Howard Taft National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in Cincinnati, Ohio, maintained by the National Park Service of the United States...
- The Mount Auburn Young Ladies Institute was established in 1856 to provide higher education to females. It was known for a strenuous curriculum, particularly in science and mathematics. The Institute was located on twenty-three acres of land that was landscaped by a gardener. Only four acres were cultivated for vegetable and flower gardens and a fruit orchard. The remainder was part of the landscaped area.
- Cincinnati Orphan Asylum
- Inwood Park was created in 1904 after the purchase of a stone quarry. Its pavilionPavilion (structure)In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
, built in 1910 in Mission styleMission styleMission style may refer to the following:*Mission Style Furniture*Mission Revival Style architecture*American Craftsman, an architectural and design movement*Mission School, an art movement of the late 20th century...
, is one of the earliest buildings extant in Cincinnati's parks.