Lombardy Apartment Building
Also known as: See Also:West Fourth Street Historic District
Why it's listed
Built in 1885 at 318-326 West Fourth Street in Cincinnati, the Lombardy is a symmetrical seven-story apartment building of brick with various limestone wall treatments and projections on its front facade. Details include Corinthian pilasters, ornate brackets, wrought iron balconies, and a pedimented central dormer set in a pseudo-Mansard roof. The cast iron storefront has fluted pilasters and a classical frontispiece, with the name Lombardy inscribed above the entrance. Samuel Hannaford designed it for Thomas Emery & Sons, who also built the Lorraine, Brittany and Normandy apartment buildings in the mid-1880s; only the Brittany and the Lombardy are noted as still standing. It was among the first apartment flats built in Cincinnati and is regarded as an outstanding example of late nineteenth century urban architecture. The building lies in the West Fourth Street Historic District. An inventory recorded it as largely vacant and in poor condition, threatened by neglect.
Significance in brief: The Lombardy was one of the first apartment flats built in Cincinnati and is described as an outstanding example of late nineteenth century urban architecture. It is also part of a thematic group of works by architect Samuel Hannaford. It sits within the West Fourth Street 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 80003062, listed March 3, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 318-326 W. 4th St., Cincinnati |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | March 3, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003062 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1885 |
| Architect / builder | Samuel Hannaford (architect); Thomas Emery & Sons (builder) |
| Architectural style | Victorian |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Inventory lists the building as 90% vacant, with interior and exterior in poor condition and endangered by neglect. |
| Within district | West Fourth Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.09917, -84.51806 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 80003062.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6669402
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.