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Gwynne Building

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Coordinates: 39°6′11″N 84°30′36″W / 39.10306°N 84.51000°W / 39.10306; -84.51000
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Gwynne Building
Gwynne Building is located in Ohio
Gwynne Building
Gwynne Building is located in the United States
Gwynne Building
Location6th and Main Sts, Cincinnati, Ohio
Coordinates39°6′11″N 84°30′36″W / 39.10306°N 84.51000°W / 39.10306; -84.51000
Built1913
ArchitectErnest Flagg
Architectural styleBeaux-Arts
NRHP reference No.79001856[1]
Added to NRHPAugust 3, 1979

Gwynne Building is a registered historic building in Cincinnati, Ohio, listed in the National Register on August 3, 1979.[1]

History

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The almost 125,000-square-foot thirteen-story Gwynne Building was completed in 1913.[2] The building was designed by Ernest Flagg, who also designed the Singer Building in New York and the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.[3]

The structure was commissioned by Flagg's cousin, Alice Gwynne Vanderbilt, who was the wife of Cornelius Vanderbilt II.[4] Alice and Ernest were first cousins as Alice's mother,[5] Rachel Moore Flagg, was the sister of Flagg's father, Jared Bradley Flagg.[6][7] Alice named the Gwynne Building in honor of her father, Abraham Evan Gwynne, a prominent Cincinnati lawyer and Judge.[5][8][9] Her paternal grandfather, Major David Gwynne, was a real estate broker in Cincinnati,[10] whose family was among the early settlers of Cincinnati,[11] and Alice was said to be a distant relative of the Longworth family.[5] She inherited the property at 6th and Main St. and her brother took the corner of 4th and Main St.[9]

The tallest section, the tower, is 14 stories. The Beaux-Arts style building is made of steel and concrete the exterior is rendered in Indiana limestone,[11] brick and granite.[8] Originally the building was considered fireproof as there was "no wood of any description being used,"[11] and the floors were finished in polished concrete with the hall floors containing mosaics.[11] The corners of the building are adorned with ox heads.[10]

In addition to the 1913 building, the east building was built in 1916, and the north building was built in 1939.[8]

Tenants

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From 1935 until 1956, the office building housed the headquarters of Procter & Gamble (P&G).[12][13] The P&G World Headquarters are now located in twin towers several blocks to the east.[8]

In 1992, the building was purchased by a group of tenants and investors from EQ Office, which was owned by Chicago billionaire real estate investor Sam Zell, founder and chairman of Equity International.[14] The purchase was followed by an about $1,000,000 in renovations.[14]

In July 2014, the building, which was then 88% occupied, was offered for sale.[8] The tenants included Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, Sound Images (later renamed Gwynne Sound),[15] the Charles H. Dater Foundation and the Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky Film Commission.[8] It was purchased by an investment group led by Patrick Gates.[16]

References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ Demeropolis, Tom (December 16, 2014). "EXCLUSIVE: Former P&G headquarters building sold". Cincinnati Business Courier. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  3. ^ Tenkotte, Paul A. (July 20, 2015). "Our Rich History: Appreciating those fascinating skyscrapers, offering treasure trove of views, history". Northern Kentucky Tribune. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  4. ^ "Mrs. Vanderbilt Sr. Dies In Home At 89. Widow Of Financier, Long Ill. Was A Leader In Brilliant Era Of New York Society". New York Times. April 23, 1934.
  5. ^ a b c "Dowager Vanderbilt Dies; Alice Gwynne, Cincinnati, Wed to Cornelius In 1867". The Cincinnati Enquirer. April 23, 1934. p. 8. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  6. ^ Hannan, Caryn (2008). Connecticut Biographical Dictionary. State History Publications. p. 283. ISBN 9781878592590. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  7. ^ Men and Women of America: A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporaries. L.R. Hamersly. 1909. p. 614. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Tweh, Bowdeya (July 14, 2014). "Former P&G headquarters for sale". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  9. ^ a b "LAWYERS Favor Gwynne Building | As the Most Desirable For Temporary Courthouse During Erection of Proposed Structure". The Cincinnati Enquirer. February 15, 1914. p. 16. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  10. ^ a b "Queen City Tour: 77. Gwynne Building". Queen City Tour. 15 November 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  11. ^ a b c d "THE GWYNNE BUILDING". The Cincinnati Enquirer. May 29, 1913. p. 11. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  12. ^ Federal Writers' Project (1943). Cincinnati, a Guide to the Queen City and Its Neighbors. p. 182. ISBN 9781623760519. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
  13. ^ Giglierano, Geoffrey J., et al. The Bicentennial Guide to Greater Cincinnati: A Portrait of Two Hundred Years. Cincinnati, Ohio: Cincinnati Historical Society, 1988. p. 65.
  14. ^ a b "Tenants take over the Gweynne | New owners get ready for challenges". The Cincinnati Enquirer. July 14, 1992. p. 12. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  15. ^ Cieslewicz, Bill (August 10, 2017). "Historic Cincinnati recording studio under new ownership". Cincinnati Business Courier. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  16. ^ Demeropolis, Tom (December 18, 2014). "EXCLUSIVE: Buying spree continues for new owner of Gwynne Building, here's the latest deal". Cincinnati Business Courier. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
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