{"nrhp_refnum":"80003052","name":"Elsinore Arch","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"1700 Gilbert Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Cincinnati","county":"Hamilton County","state":"OH","lat":39.11506600200005,"lon":-84.49948235399995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1980-03-03","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A castellated stone gateway structure in the southwestern corner of Eden Park, Cincinnati, Ohio, built in 1883 as a valve house for the city water works. It has a large round tower joined to a smaller square tower by a battlemented arch.","why_significant":"The structure is part of a thematic group of works by the Samuel Hannaford and Sons architectural firm. Charles Hannaford, one of Samuel's sons, is reputed to have designed it. It was commissioned by the Water Works superintendent after he saw backdrops from a local Hamlet performance, and it serves as a strong focal point in the park.","narrative":"Elsinore Arch is a medieval-style stone gateway at the southwestern edge of Eden Park in Cincinnati, beside the Museum of Natural History. Built in 1883 at a cost of $15,000, it housed valves controlling the flow of two large water mains laid after the Eden Park reservoirs were completed in the 1870s. Water Works Superintendent A. G. Moore, after seeing backdrops used in a local production of Hamlet, commissioned the firm of Samuel Hannaford and Sons to build it. Charles Hannaford, one of Samuel's sons, is reputed to have designed it. A large cylindrical castellated tower connects to a smaller square tower through a battlemented archway with a Romanesque-style entrance. Above the entrance is a diamond-shaped plaque inscribed \"Elsinore A. D. 1883.\" Narrow windows, ashlar beltcoursing, round medallions and stone voussoirs add detail. It was listed as part of a group of Hannaford works and remains a visual focal point in the park.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Charles Hannaford (reputed designer), of Samuel Hannaford and Sons","architectural_style":"Eclectic","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed in good condition (exterior); present use is the same as original, a valve house for the water works, and it is owned by the City of Cincinnati Water Works.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:12.387164-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/80003052.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80003052/0cf151d8fb-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80003052/0cf151d8fb-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"Photo by Greg Hume (Greg5030)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ElsinoreArch.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Photo by Greg Hume (Greg5030)</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ElsinoreArch.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71985332","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsinore_Arch","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5367663"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/hamilton-county/elsinore-arch-80003052/"}