Bepler, August, House
Also known as: Holly Ridge; The Beiser Residence
Why it's listed
Holly Ridge, at 805 Tusculum Avenue in Cincinnati, is a two and a half story frame house dated to 1869, set on nearly five acres screened by greenery. Its facade is dominated by a two-story portico of four fluted pseudo-Corinthian columns, with a classical entrance, a Palladian window and a widow's walk on the truncated gable roof. Inside, the central hall stair and parquet floors survive. The house was built for August Bepler, an emigrant who came to Cincinnati in 1851 and is credited with inventing the flat-bottomed paper bag and the machine that cut and folded it. After seeing a relative's home in St. Louis designed by an architect named Griffiths, he had the same design built here on land bought from Joseph Longworth. It is the oldest remaining house in the Mt. Tusculum section and a well-preserved example of Classical Revival style. The house stayed in the family for 106 years, with changes made after a 1917 tornado, in 1928-29 and in 1953.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as an excellent and well-preserved example of Classical Revival architecture, a style described as not abundant in the area. It is the oldest remaining house in the Mt. Tusculum section of Cincinnati. It was built as the home of August Bepler, inventor of the flat-bottomed paper bag and the machine that made it.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 77001062, listed April 13, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 805 Tusculum Ave., Cincinnati |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | April 13, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77001062 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Griffiths |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Invention |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Private residence, occupied; the interior is described as retaining its original central hall stair and parquet floors and being in excellent condition. |
| Acreage | 4.1 |
| Coordinates | 39.11635, -84.42528 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 77001062.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4820647
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.