Mount Auburn Historic District

Mt. Auburn is a hillside neighborhood of Cincinnati whose Auburn Avenue once earned the nickname "Fifth Avenue" of the city. Settlement began about 1819 with the home of James Key, and the area was known as Key's Hill until about 1837. Prominent residents built large Italianate houses, many with square towers, along the avenue. Examples include the Henry Martin House, the Thomas Phillips House, Sunnyside (the William Doane home) and the Mordecai White House. Also present are Second Empire, Greek Revival and Gothic Revival buildings, along with Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian churches. The district takes in about 41.4 acres and three parks: Hopkins, Jackson Hill and Inwood. Former residents included bankers, industrialists, jurists, a governor and a conductor. Some older houses have been lost to hospital-related construction, but many survive and show the status and ambitions of the early settlers. The picturesque views and closeness to downtown that first drew residents remain.