Over-the-Rhine Historic District

Over-the-Rhine is a dense urban neighborhood of roughly 362.5 acres immediately north of Cincinnati's central business district. Nearly 1,280 buildings stand there, and at one time more than 45,000 people lived in the community. Most are brick row houses, semi-detached houses and mixed commercial/residential buildings from the middle and late nineteenth century, built in simple vernacular, muted Greek Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne styles. Uniform facade lines, similar heights and brick construction create distinctive streetscapes. Although the area is closely tied to German life, its architecture is not uniformly Germanic; a few buildings, such as the Germania Building of 1877 and several Gothic-influenced churches, show that influence. Landmarks include Music Hall, the Hamilton County Memorial Building and churches around Washington Park. Granite alleys, wooden block streets and faded wall advertisements add to the sense of place. The district was listed because it preserves a nineteenth-century ethnic urban community with exceptional integrity, despite some deterioration and intrusions.