Main and Third Street Cluster
Why it's listed
Three commercial buildings at the corner of Main and East Third Streets in downtown Cincinnati form a cluster that reflects the area's early role as the city's commercial and retail center. The oldest, the McMicken School of Design at 300-302 Main Street, dates from 1862 and was designed by William Walters in the Italianate style, with sandstone facades and a bracketed metal cornice. It originally housed the design school on its top two floors, with commercial and banking uses below. Next door, the Anderson Building of 1893 shows Victorian Commercial detailing, including double pediments, triple windows and zig-zag brickwork. It was built by the Lars Anderson estate as an investment. The Burkhardt Building of about 1910, at 208-210 East Third Street, is a five-story Neo-classical Revival structure linked internally to the McMicken building for a fur merchant's business. Together they illustrate commercial styles that have become scarce in the central business district.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the cluster is significant to the architectural history of Cincinnati's central business district because it embodies late nineteenth and early twentieth century commercial architecture. The McMicken School of Design and Anderson Building are credited with high artistic values and workmanship. The area was also the early center of Cincinnati's commercial and retail activity.
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 83001984, listed July 15, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 300-302, 304-306 Main St., and 208-210 E. 3rd St., Cincinnati |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | July 15, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001984 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | William Walters, architect (McMicken School of Design) |
| Architectural style | Italianate (McMicken School of Design); Victorian Commercial (Anderson Building); Neo-classical Revival (Burkhardt Building) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Storefronts of all three buildings have been altered from their original design; the Anderson Building's first and second floors house a restaurant and bar, and the form calls for rehabilitation under the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Main-Third Street Buildings |
| Coordinates | 39.09942, -84.50868 (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 83001984.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6736202
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.