Walnut Hills Christian Church: Then & Now

Walnut Hills Month Edition!

Then
Now
All that remains is the wall.

Walnut Hills Christian Church was located between Kemper and Park on the north side of William Howard Taft, which was originally named Locust Street. It was demolished within the last 5 years. Walnut Hills Christian Church built a new church on East McMillan, completed in 1925 and designed by Samuel Hannaford & Sons. It still stands. After moving, the Seventh Day Adventists occupied the building for a time.

'Walnut Hills Month' is multi-part series documenting Walnut Hills and ending with the ARCHITREKS walking tours of Walnut Hills on August 29 and 30.

Historic photo from Library's Cincinnati Memory Project.

Torrence Road Station: Then & Now

Then:

Now:

The Torrance Road Station was a passenger station on the Little Miami Railroad, operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company from 1868. It is located at Torrence Road and now Riverside Drive, across from St. Rose. The church and Cincinnati Water Works are visible to the right in the first "Then" photograph. Passengers would enter the building on Torrence and then could walk up to the platform one floor above for eastbound trains and then across a footbridge over the tracks for westbound trains to downtown. The sculpture that says "Cincinnati" was under the bridge along the westbound platform and is still there although very worn. Apparently passenger service ended here and at Pennsylvania's main station at Pearl & Butler Streets downtown (completed in 1880) with the completion of Union Terminal in 1933. Passenger service on this entire portion of the Little Miami rail line ended in 1968. I do not have the date of construction of the structure nor when the building and structures were demolished and filled in. Maybe a railroad enthusiast can fill us in!

References:
Cincinnati Streetcars, Interurbans, and Railroads

History of the Little Miami Railroad

Historic photos from Library's Cincinnati Memory Project.

Fort Washington Monument: Then & Now

Then . . .
Now . . .

The monument itself hasn’t changed . . . just its location. Dedicated in 1901, the Fort Washington Monument originally sat in the middle of the intersection of 3rd & Ludlow Streets. It was relocated here about a block north on Ludlow Street in 1998, just east of the old Guilford School (1914) parking lot and across from Lytle Park. The monument was relocated due to the building of Fort Washington Way (completed 1961) and the ultimate "tunneling" of I-71 under Lytle Park (Completed 1969). The monument would have been approximately just south of the south tunnel portal. Photo is generally looking east on 3rd Street. The Anna Louise Inn, completed in 1909, is visible behind the monument.

References:
Cincinnati-Transit.net

Historic photo from Library’s Cincinnati Memory Project.

Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce: Then and Now

Then . . .
Now . . .The Chamber of Commerce Building, on the southwest corner of 4th & Vine Streets, was designed H.H. Richardson and completed in 1888. It was destroyed by fire in 1911. In 1972, 84 tons of carved pink granite from the Chamber of Commerce Building were erected in Burnet Woods as a design project of University of Cincinnati students. Located on the north side of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Burnet Woods, it is a memorial to the architect.

References:

Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl. H. H. Richardson Complete Architectural Works. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1982.

Historic photo from Library's Cincinnati Memory Project.

Eden Park Lower Reservoir: Then and Now

Then . . .

Now . . .

The first reservoir in Eden Park was completed in 1872. The second reservoir was completed in 1878 and was called the Lower Reservoir. A carriageway named for David Baker Pass, President, Board of Public Works ran along the south wall of the reservoir. The lower reservoir was demolished in 1962.

References:

Greve, Charles T. Centential History of Cincinnati. 1904

City of Cincinnati Eden Park website

Historic photo from Library's Cincinnati Memory Project.

First Presbyterian Church of Walnut Hills: Then and Now

Then . . .
Now . . .
Located at William Howard Taft Road & Gilbert Avenue, First Presbyterian Church of Walnut Hills was designed by Samuel Hannaford and completed in 1885. The original congregation sold the building in 1994, and evenually it was sold again and in 2003, all but the tower was demolished. CPA led a preservation movement, documented in part here.

Historic photo from Library's Cincinnati Memory Project.

St. Bonaventure: Then and Now

Then . . .

Now . . .

Located at 1798 Queen City Avenue in South Fairmont, St. Bonaventure Parish closed in 2003 and merged with St. Leo in North Fairmont. The building was demolished in 2005. The rose window was reinstalled in Holy Cross Immaculata Church in Mt. Adams.

Historic photo from Library's Cincinnati Memory Project.