Mount Washington, Cincinnati

Mount Washington

Mount Washington is a neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Mount Washington is a neighborhood on the east side of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It is located about ten minutes east of Downtown via Columbia Parkway and Beechmont Avenue; or a slightly longer drive via Riverside Drive (formerly Eastern Avenue) and Kellogg Avenue, to Salem Avenue and up Sutton Avenue or Beacon Street. As one of Cincinnati's 52 neighborhoods, Mount Washington lies within the city corporation limits, and borders the Cincinnati neighborhoods of California, Linwood, and the East End, as well as unincorporated Anderson Township, Hamilton County, Ohio. It is served by the 24, 30X, and 81X Metro bus routes.

History

Mount Washington was laid out in 1846 and received its city rights in 1867. The community was annexed by the City of Cincinnati in 1911.[1][2]

Business district

The Mount Washington business district and Water Tower, Beechmont Avenue

The Mount Washington Water Tower, located on Campus Lane between Beechmont Avenue and Sutton Avenue, is a noted Art Deco landmark and is decorated top-to-bottom with LED lights. Mount Washington is home to numerous small businesses, many of them located along Beechmont Avenue / Ohio State Route 125 in the main neighborhood business district, "The Mount Washington Water Tower District" (sometimes referred to as "Uptown" as a means of distinguishing it from other business districts, including Downtown Cincinnati and the two other districts in Mount Washington).

Businesses include a jewelry store, and Mr. Lock locksmith, as well as local outlets of Wendy's, LaRosa's Pizza, PNC Bank, Fifth Third Bank, Walgreens, and Kroger (headquartered in Cincinnati). Gold Star Chili was started in Mount Washington with the purchase of Hamburger Heaven in 1965, although the original location no longer exists. A recipe for Cincinnati chili was included in the sale.

Community Organizations

The official governing body of Mt. Washington, as recognized by the City of Cincinnati, is the Mt. Washington Community Council.

The Mt. Washington Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation represents the member businesses in the neighborhood. Additionally, Mt. Washington is served by an active American Legion, Post 484, and Masonic Lodge, Yeatman Lodge #162.

Beechmont Avenue Reconstruction and Evolution

Beechmont Avenue in western Mount Washington, prior to the 2002-2003 widening, featured reversible lanes. When the street was widened, two additional lanes were added between the western Corporation Line and Wasigo Drive (to create a dual turn lane), with one additional lane between Wasigo Drive and Corbly Street. Sidewalks and curbs were also added along the route.

With the widening came wider lanes and higher speeds. The new roadway was designed with 12-foot-wide (3.7 m) lanes, common on many high speed roadways and expressways. Furthermore, traffic has greatly increased along the route. The neighborhood and the City of Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering have attempted to fix the higher speeds by reducing the width of the four active lanes, while also adding a bike lane into the business district. Trees and curbs have been added.

On-street parking was re-introduced to the route in 2012, though it is underutilized. Parking is now permitted in curb lanes, during off-peak hours, between Brachman Avenue and Mears Avenue, after being prohibited for 20 years due at the request of the neighborhood over concerns about McNicholas High School students parking on the street. This prohibition led to numerous illegal driveway widening and front yard parking issues.

Housing

Guardian Angels Roman Catholic Church (constructed 1963-1971, exterior designed by architect Edward Schulte) at night, 6531 Beechmont Avenue

Throughout the 1980s, the growth of large apartment complexes, and low to moderate income apartment buildings strained the neighborhood's image. Recent zoning has helped to protect the mostly residential nature of Beechmont Avenue in Mount Washington, while many of the large apartment complexes have not aged well and are often owned by absentee landlords who do not maintain them properly.

Mount Washington contains historic homes and distinctive architecture. Housing stock in the neighborhood is diverse, with values ranging from modest bungalows to million dollar estates. The neighborhood is home to Victorian-era homes, particularly along minor arterials, such as Beacon Street, Mears Avenue, Cambridge Avenue and Sutton Avenue. Many streets between these minor arterials were developed in the 1920s and 1930s, ranging from modest bungalows and Cape Cods to small colonial houses. Kopf and Bressler's developments on Wilaray Terrace, Honeysuckle Lane, and Honeysuckle Drive are filled with 1940s and 1950s-era architect-designed custom-built homes. The Lower Salem area, located along Salem Avenue between Wayside and Kellogg Avenues, contains sprawling estates and large homes built between the 1930s and 1960s. Developments from the last decades of the 20th Century include the George Mayer subdivision (Woodlark Drive and Thornbird Drive, connecting Mayland Drive to Mears Avenue) the Reserve of Turpin, a master-planned community, and portions of Berkshire Estates, which were built by Zaring Homes, and contain single-family homes and landominiums, as well as streets such as Adena Trail.

Schools

Three grade schools are located in Mount Washington:

The Archbishop McNicholas High School (Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati) is also located in Mount Washington, across from Guardian Angels.

Mount Washington is also home to The Athenaeum of Ohio (Mt. St. Mary's Seminary of the West), located at the eastern gateway to Mount Washington, the intersection of Beechmont Avenue and Burney Lane. The campus is owned by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and is known for its architecture. Many of the records for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati are located at the campus library.

Parks

Cincinnati Park Board operates the 125-acre (0.51 km2) Stanbery Park on Oxford Avenue between Corbly Street and Crestview Place. This park is named after Brigadier General Sanford B. Stanbery, who was the highest-ranking officer from Hamilton County in World War I. The Tudor-style Stanbery house used to be located on park grounds, but was demolished as part of a park improvement program. Fundraisers held at the park have included a "Pumpkin Chuck" using a trebuchet (after Halloween, in 2006 through 2012). The park facilities include a paved walking area, hiking trails, playground equipment, and a picnic shelter. Stanbery Park is a popular sledding area on snowy days.

References

  1. ↑ Federal Writers' Project (1943). "Cincinnati, a Guide to the Queen City and Its Neighbors". p. 249. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
  2. ↑ Clarke, S. J. (1912). "Cincinnati, the Queen City, 1788-1912, Volume 2". The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company. p. 528. Retrieved 2013-05-20.

Coordinates: 39°05′15″N 84°23′11″W / 39.08750°N 84.38639°W / 39.08750; -84.38639

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