NEW SERIES: Cincinnati Architectural Review

This is he first in what will be an ongoing series of the great architecture of Cincinnati. Over the weekend we played tour guide to the moderator of Victorian Architectural Review an online newsgroup dedicated to the study of architecture of the Victorian era. He agreed with my assessment that Cincinnati is one of the best kept secrets in terms of its historic architecture and is greatly under appreciated.

As is often the case in this busy world we often whiz down the street completely oblivious to the architectural wonders that surround us, taking for granted what is perhaps the greatest collection of Historic architecture in the United States right here in Cincinnati.

Today's subject is this massive Free Classic Mansion on Harrison Ave. This impressive home, once a private residence, now is a nursing home but the main house and its equally impressive carriage house are largely intact. Which is truly remarkable given the size of this home.

Note the classic entrance way with its dentil moldings and swags and the urn that sits a top the porch pediment. The huge veranda porch runs the entire width of the mansion and gently curves to match the bay window on the house. This home is as Grand as any of the historic East coast Mansions.

The homes is covered with classic swag detailing on the crown. However the most incredible detail and one I have not seen before is the Stained Glass Niche that is to the left of the front entrance door. An incredible example of fine stained glass art the effect must be incredible when seen from the interior. To think it has survived all these years when as a piece of art alone it is extremely rare.

Equally impressive is the carriage house which is as large as most modern mansions. Finished in the same yellow brick as the mansion it has an exceptional copper cupola that adorns the roofline. Today it would cost 20-40 Million Dollars to build a mansion of this size and quality even if you could find the craftsman capable of doing it. The stained glass niche alone could cost as much as 50,000.00 to replicate. I hope you enjoy this series and you can look forward to more postings.