Clovernook
Also known as: Cary Cottage
Why it's listed
Built about 1832 as a farmhouse for Robert and Elizabeth Jessup Cary and their nine children, this two-story painted brick cottage on Hamilton Avenue in Cincinnati has a T-shaped plan. The brick was fired on site. The middle section is oldest, and the front portion was added about ten years later. A two-story south piazza, a large cooking hearth and the original stairway survive. Two daughters, Alice and Phoebe Cary, began publishing poetry young and gained national notice after inclusion in an 1849 anthology. They called the home "Clovernook" in their writings, and later moved to New York. In 1903 the property was dedicated as a home for the worthy blind, led by sisters Georgia and Florence Trader with support from William S. Procter. Weaving and printing operations there provided employment for blind people, and the printing press became the largest private operation of its kind in the country by 1922.
Significance in brief: The cottage was the home of poets Alice and Phoebe Cary, whose published verse earned national attention and praise from Poe and Whittier. It is also tied to Georgia and Florence Trader, who turned it into Clovernook, a home and training center for blind women, in 1903.
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 73001454, listed June 18, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 7000 Hamilton Ave., Cincinnati |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | June 18, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001454 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (c.1832) |
| Areas of significance | Literature, Education |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and in good condition, though altered. Used for board meetings, and trustees were considering interior changes and uses such as educational visits. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.22001, -84.54890 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 73001454.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5135980
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.