Saturday, June 28, 2014

Arch Street Houses

In recent news, it was announced that the Lytle Park Historic District had come up for renewal after being in existence for 50 years. Western and Southern Financial Group, who owns many of the buildings within the district, asked for the removal of several of the buildings from the renewal plan. The district with new boundaries was approved on June 18, 2014.
Cincinnati.com, May 26, 2014
This blog highlights the buildings on Arch Street, now removed from the district and are expected to be demolished in the future by Western and Southern.
While the Hamilton County Auditor dates these buildings from 1880, 1860 and 1865, the dates are actually quite different.

The house on the left above is 425 Arch Street. The building was actually constructed around 1870 after the lot was purchased by Henry Werry from Laura Wiggins. See the 2nd Series Index below from the Hamilton County Recorder.
Jacob Guelich had purchased Lots 10, 11 and 12 from the United States, who was the owner of this subdivision.

1887 Sanborn Insurance Map - Source
The buildings outlined are 421, 423 and 425 Arch Street from left to right.
The Werry family built their modest brick home and lived there from 1870 until the death of Henry's wife, Elizabeth in 1913 at the age of 84. Henry, who was a blacksmith, passed away in 1875 when he was just 45 years old.
1870 United States Census, showing the Werry and Guelich families living at 425 and 429 Arch Street.
By 1920, the home was owned by William Farrell, who lived there with his mother. They rented furnished rooms in other buildings that they owned. In 1925, John Gibbons, a watchman, lived there with his wife Mary, who continued living there after John's death. It was then purchased by William and Francis Miller, whose family sold it to Western & Southern in 1990.

423 Arch Street, by Bob Schwartz
This home at 423 Arch Street was not the first building on this lot. It appears from evidence found in the city directories that there was another structure here that served as a boarding house from approximately 1857 until 1868. The lot was purchased from Henry Werry by Joseph J. Gest in 1869, who owned the house on Third Street directly behind this lot. Gest sold the lot just two years later to J. G. Hendricks. This is the family that built the house that stands today.
The Cincinnati Daily Enquirer; Sept. 9, 1871; pg. 3
John G. Hendricks was born in Germany in 1814 and came to the United States around 1844. He had a successful tinning business on Front Street which was continued by his son George. In 1880, John owned a gentlemen's and furnishing goods store at Gilmore's Landing. George and his wife Elizabeth had eight children, however three died in childhood and two sons died in roofing accidents. John passed away in 1891.
Cincinnati Enquirer; Dec 9, 1891; pg. 4
Elizabeth lived in the home until her death in 1907. Her estate sold the house to Joseph Falloni, who owned a fruit stand at Pearl and Vine Streets. Falloni had arrived in the US from Italy in 1874 and rented rooms to Julia Castellini and her two children. The building was sold in May, 1921 to Harry Falone, who in turn sold it to Carrie Farrell just one year later. With new ownership, the Castellini family moved out and the Farrell's lived here with Frank Mitchell and his wife until the Mitchell's purchased it in 1929. They continued as owners until 1978. It was purchased by Arch Street Associates in 1986 and Western & Southern in 1997.

1904-1930 Sanborn Insurance Map - Source
Some interesting features here include the University Club, 2nd District Police Station (1910), Guilford Public School (1912) and the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History (present day site of parking garage). The former carriage house at 421 Arch Street is marked as a private garage.
421 Arch Street, by Bob Schwartz
While the Auditor dates this blue building from 1865, it took its present appearance around 1911, when it became a funeral home, run by William Fuldner. Prior to this, it was a carriage house, quite possibly built in the 1860's. Fuldner ran his business here until his death, when his son Howard took over until 1978. It was then sold to Arch Street Associates in 1982 and Western & Southern in 1997.

One last bit of information on Arch Street. Why is it named Arch Street? Here is an explanation from 1961.
Cincinnati Post & Times-Star; Sept. 20, 1961; p. 21
More on Fort Washington and its connection with the Lytle Park Historic District will come in another post!

5 comments:

  1. Fascinating info! A distant relative of mine, Henry Mansell, ran a boarding house on Arch Street during the 1840s and 1850s, although I have not been able to get an exact address.

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    1. Hi. I'm interested in any information you have beyond what you posted about a boarding house on Arch in the 40's and 50's. It was heavily populated at that time, and a boarding house is very likely. I'm taking that name of your relative down; Henry Mansell. This may be in some newspapers or directories. Have you looked? Thanks.

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  2. At last a thank you for the Arch Street work. It's been later discovered with my additional research Arch Street was more than likely named for the person Archibald Irwin...I'll send documentation and see what you surmise. Thanks so much.

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  3. Thanks for your work on the Arch Street history, Ann. I downloaded for my Irwin research and further documentation of the loss of the houses at this point in time...a late thanks to you!

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  4. Arch Street was my free parking for Cyclones and Reds games before the Police changed it to a now parking area.

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