West Fourth Street Historic District (Amendment)
Also known as: See Also:West Fourth Street Historic District; Lombardy Apart
Why it's listed
Eleven masonry buildings within a two-and-a-half block area along West Fourth and Elm Streets, at the southwest edge of downtown Cincinnati, make up this district addition. The buildings run from five to fourteen stories and sit directly on the sidewalk line, forming a solid street wall with varied rooflines and rich stone and terra-cotta ornament. They span about 1830 to 1927. Examples include the 1876 High Victorian Italianate Meader Building, the 1893 Hooper Building designed by Samuel Hannaford, the 1906 Textile Building by Gustav W. Drach, and the 1927 Second Renaissance Revival tower built for the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. Most ground floors have lost original storefronts to modern replacements, and the former Gibson Art Building was converted to a municipal garage in 1957. Even so, the group has no vacant buildings and is in good overall condition. It extends the neighboring historic district and preserves a cohesive stretch of late nineteenth and early twentieth century commercial architecture.
Significance in brief: The buildings form a continuous row along West Fourth Street, with stone and terra-cotta detail and varied roof heights. They show commercial architecture from the late 19th to early 20th century, including works by Cincinnati architects Samuel Hannaford and Gustav W. Drach. The district adjoins the existing West Fourth Street Historic District on its west edge.
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 79001861, listed August 13, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W. 5th and Perry Sts. between Central Ave. and Plum St., 4thSt. between Central Ave. and Race St., Cincinnati |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | August 13, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001861 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Samuel Hannaford (Hooper Building); Gustav W. Drach (Textile Building) |
| Architectural style | High Victorian Italianate, Second Renaissance Revival, Commercial Style, Eclectic |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition ranges from excellent to fair, with no vacant or substandard buildings. Most ground-floor facades have been altered with modern storefronts. The buildings are in retail, office, storage and light manufacturing use. |
| Acreage | 5.5 |
| Coordinates | 39.02698, -82.20853 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 79001861.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7985186
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.