Calvary Episcopal Church Sunday School
Also known as: See Also:Clifton Avenue Historic District
Why it's listed
Behind Calvary Episcopal Church on Clifton Avenue in Cincinnati sits a low, one-and-a-half-story Sunday school built in 1887 to designs by Samuel Hannaford & Sons. Built on the side of a hill, it is T-shaped, with steep intersecting slate gable roofs and random ashlar limestone walls. The taller center gable has a stone Gothic pattern around three narrow lancet windows, and the eastern gable end has unusually shaped stained glass windows with smooth limestone surrounds. A narrow vestibule links it to the church. The congregation was founded in 1846, and the main church was built between 1866 and 1868 to designs by William Tinsley. Sunday school attendance rose from 45 to 100 pupils between 1885 and 1887, and a large addition was dedicated in 1925. The building is listed as one of several works by the Hannaford firm, and it remains in use as a Sunday school in excellent condition.
Significance in brief: It is listed as part of a thematic group of works by the Cincinnati architectural firm Samuel Hannaford & Sons. The building shows Gothic influences in its stonework and lancet windows. It is also part of the Calvary Church complex, built from 1868 to 1925, in the proposed Clifton Avenue Historic District.
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 80003040, listed March 3, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3770 Clifton Ave., Cincinnati |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | March 3, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003040 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Samuel Hannaford & Sons (architect); builder unknown |
| Architectural style | Gothic influences |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Inventory lists interior and exterior condition as excellent; still used as a Sunday school. |
| Within district | Clifton Avenue Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.15232, -84.51746 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
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 80003040.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5024177
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.