Sayler Park
The westernmost neighborhood of Cincinnati, Sayler Park adjoins the north bank of the Ohio River and calls itself “Cincinnati’s Western Gateway.” Prices $25,000 to $180,000.
Covedale Garden District
Established in the 1830s, the neighborhood is primarily residential with tree-lined streets; most businesses are located on or near bustling Glenway Avenue. Prices $80,000 to $130,000.
Westwood Town Hall Area
Westwood’s housing history includes wealthy industrialists, including Proctor & Gamble founder James Gamble. Styles include Victorian Vernacular, Arts and Crafts, Colonial Tudor revivals, bungalows and foursquares. Prices $20,000 to $180,000.
Price Hill Cedar Grove
Formerly orchard land, the historic Cedar Grove neighborhood in Price Hill began residential development in 1883; its proximity to downtown attracted wealthy residents. Prices $3,000 to $150,000.
Price Hill Incline District
The Price Hill Incline, the first in Cincinnati, opened in 1874 and enabled Price Hill to become a thriving neighborhood known for its first and second generation Irish and German Catholic immigrants. Prices $20,000 to $200,000.
Ludlow
Ludlow offers residents friendly and quaint neighborhood communities within convenient distance to the thriving entertainment districts in downtown Cincinnati, Covington, and Newport. Prices $15,000 to $130,000.
Dayton Street Historic District
Nicknamed “Millionaire’s Row,” many of the homes in this neighborhood were built by the owners of Cincinnati’s beer breweries and pork packers from 1800 to 1890. Prices $10,000 to $165,000.
Clifton Gaslight
Famous for its working gas street lamps, this eclectic walking neighborhood features tree-lined streets and a wealth of independent restaurants, boutiques, and essential businesses at its hub on Ludlow Avenue. Prices $120,000 to $750,000.
Northside
Progressive urban living is Northside’s hallmark, with such highlights as an urban garden co-op, a volunteer bicycle co-op, and the Northside Farmers Market. Prices $20,000 to $275,000.
College Hill
College Hill prides itself on the diversity of its citizens and residential architecture. The broad, tree-lined streets of College Hill give the neighborhood a stately air. Prices $15,000 to $280,000.
Glendale
The original layout of lots, streets, and parks follows the landscape instead of a rigid geometrical grid; Glendale is recognized as the first subdivision in the United States to be laid out according to topography. Prices $40,000 to $650,000.
Wyoming
Known for its excellent school system and dedication to urban forestry, Wyoming is a city strongly dedicated to preserving its historical heritage. Prices $65,000 to $950,000.
Paddock Hills
Located north of downtown and west of Norwood, Paddock Hills is characterized by cul-de-sac streets, stands of poplars and pin oaks, and a mix of historic and Modern architecture. Prices $60,000 to $190,000.
Norwood Presidential District
The Norwood Presidential District features many excellent Victorian Vernacular houses, with a small collection of elaborate Queen Anne Victorian as well. Also to be found are Arts and Crafts bungalows and foursquares. Prices $60,000 to $260,000.
Milford
Milford is known for its dedication to preserving Milford history, including the downtown Promont House museum (former home of Ohio Governor John Pattison). Prices $100,000 to $240,000.
Hyde Park
Incorporated in 1896 by businessmen who wanted to create a community exclusively for the wealthy, Hyde Park has kept its upper-class and meticulously well maintained image since its inception. Prices $135,000 to $1,400,000.
Mt. Lookout
Known for its lively business and entertainment district, the bustle of the trendy restaurants, bars, and shopsare a short walk from the neighborhood’s tree-lined, affluent residential streets. Prices $100,000 to $600,000.
Columbia Tusculum
Declared a City Historic District in 1989, Columbia Tusculum traces its inception to the 1788 Benjamin Stites settlement Columbia, which predates Losantiville (Cincinnati’s original name). Prices $20,000 to $300,000.
Fort Thomas
Fort Thomas has been noted for the intensive renovation of its downtown and Midway business districts, including much new streetscaping. Prices $60,000 to $1,250,000.
Bellevue
Known for its public parks and historic Fairfield Avenue, which fields a rich mix of boutique and essential businesses. Historic preservation is a strong focus of the city’s government, businesses, and residents. Prices $20,000 to $350,000.
Newport Mansion Hill/East Row
The historic homes in Mansion Hill have the benefit of being within walking distance of Newport’s revitalized arts and entertainment districts, as well as Covington and downtown Cincinnati. Prices $50,000 to $400,000.
Wallace Woods
Among neighborhood associations in Covington, the Wallace Woods Neighborhood Association is particularly active and progressive in engineering pedestrian safety and green space. Prices $30,000 to $250,000.
Central Covington
Central Covington is dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of historic homes, including the recent decades of renovation of Italianate Victorian houses in Old Seminary Square. Prices $5,000 to $120,000.
North Covington
Neighborhoods in North Covington are noted equally for their extravagant historic architecture and upscale modern entertainment and dining. Prices $5,000 to $550,000.
Prospect Hill
One of Cincinnati’s oldest neighborhoods, Prospect Park is characterized by historic brick homes, stone retaining walls, and preserved iron fences. Prices $60,000 to $300,000.
Walnut Hills/Eden Park
Historic architecture styles include Richardsonian Romanesque, Second Empire, Italianate, and Queen Anne Victorian homes, typically constructed between 1880 and 1920. Prices $130,000 to $300,000.
East Walnut Hills
Historic homes in East Walnut Hills are known for their multi-acre plots of land and unusual depth from the property line at the houses’ faces. Prices $100,000 to $1,300,000.
North Avondale
Some of the finest examples of residential Queen Anne Victorian, Italian Renaissance, English Medieval, and Greek Revival architecture in Cinncinnati. Prices $100,000 to $900,000.
Incorporated as a village in 1810, notable attractions in Lebanon include The Golden Lamb (a hotel and restaurant operating since 1803), The Western Star (home of one of Ohio’s oldest weekly newspapers), the Warren County Historical Society, and the Harmon Museum of Art and History. Prices range from $100,000 to $350,000.
Thanks For That Historic Roof Over Your Head
in Historic Preservation, Historic Restoration/by Karen GarrardToday, among the many things we are grateful is that historic roof over our heads.
The Roofs Over Our Heads
Many of us take for granted the fact that we have shelter readily available when things turn unpleasant outside. But did you know that there is a day—in addition to Thanksgiving—to appreciate the things we have including the roof over our heads?
National Roof Over Your Head Day is December 3rd every year.
This unofficial holiday draws attention to those less fortunate and reminds us to appreciate the basics. So…how often do you think about that little luxury overhead—your roof?
A roof can impart much of the architectural character of an historic home. Picture Queen Anne turrets, Georgian hipped roofs, Mansard roofs, the sloping roof line of a Bungalow. However, regardless of its age, size, or design, a weather-tight roof is basic to the preservation of a structure.
A poor roof will eventually lead to the overall disintegration of any building. If you have roof troubles, it is best to have a professional roofing contractor pinpoint the problem. It could involve failure of surface materials or of the support system—or both.
There are common problems due to simple wear and normal decay that affect historic roof surface materials. Here are some examples that can develop with the different types of materials:
Wood
Although some types of wood are more hardy than others, all wood shingles will eventually erode due to exposure to the elements and ultraviolet rays. If moisture gets in to the grain of the wood, it will deteriorate, while prolonged moisture on or in the wood allows moss and other yummies to grow causing more rot.
Metal
Commonly-used sheet metals used on historic buildings include lead, copper, zinc, tin plate, and galvanized iron. These metals chemically deteriorate due to airborne pollutants. Iron, in particular, will rust. Luckily, this can be avoided by use of tin plating or galvanizing. However—just like the rust-proofing on your once-new car—this protection lasts only as long as the coating remains intact. Once the plating is worn or damaged, exposed iron will rust. Therefore, it is a good idea to undercoat any iron-based roofing material and keep the surface well-painted to prevent corrosion (be Anti Deferred Maintenance!).
Another problem that can afflict metal roofing materials is fatigue. Both wear and metal failure can occur at the sheathing joints as a result of the metal’s alternating movement to thermal changes. Lead eventually tears due to gravitational stress, causing it to move down the roof slope.
Tile
Roof shingles made of tile weather well but there is always the possibility of cracking or breaking if hit—such as by tree branches—or if improperly walked on. The quality of the tiles can also be an issue. Low quality tiles that were not fired correctly when made, or tile containing impurities will craze and spall as a result of normal freeze/thaw cycles (an example of this is when your outdoor ceramic planter splits when the temperature goes from 30 to 60 degrees F, like it likes do here in Cincinnati).
Slate
Slate shingles, although very durable, can also vary in quality. Some slate is hard and tough and not very brittle. Soft slate can erode and be affected by pollutants in the air and rainwater. Slate will wear at the nail holes, delaminate, or simply break. Winter can be very hard on slate due to ice or ice dams. And slate does not really care for being walked on…
Happy Thanksgiving!
Cincinnati Historic Homes wishes you a very happy Thanksgiving and National Roof Over Your Head Day. Don’t forget to be thankful for that historic roof over your head and think of how many Thanksgiving dinners it has sheltered over the years and decades. We hope it presides over many more to come!
(Originally published 11/24/2014; Revised 11/26/2020)