Tag: Clifton

By Margaret Reich

This article was first published in the Clifton Chronicle

While serving as president of the Clifton Community Fund, one of the most fun emails I’ve received came from a Clifton resident curious about the beautiful bronze panels inset on the sidewalks of Ludlow Avenue. A book lover, she asked about the plaque in front of Gaslight Bar and Grill that features a card catalog and book spines with titles she did not recognize. Many Clifton residents may not know that this building once housed our neighborhood library. The titles and authors featured are all inside jokes about Clifton and Cincinnati history. For instance, “I Know Where the Bodies Are Buried” by Adolph Strauch: He was the 19^th century designer and landscaper of Spring Grove Cemetery. Israel Ludlow was a surveyor who helped to found Cincinnati. The Academy of the Sacred Heart on Lafayette Avenue was built to look like an English castle. “Schnecken: A Tale of Butter and Cinnamon,” by Virginia Bakery: this recalls the beloved bakery famous for a pastry sold from the shop where we now find J. Gumbo’s. Sharp observers will notice that the wisteria arbor next to J. Gumbo’s still has “Virginia Bakery” etched into the wood.

While serving as president of the Clifton Community Fund, one of the most fun emails I’ve received came from a Clifton resident curious about the beautiful bronze panels inset on the sidewalks of Ludlow Avenue. A book lover, she asked about the plaque in front of Gaslight Bar and Grill that features a card catalog and book spines with titles she did not recognize. Many Clifton residents may not know that this building once housed our neighborhood library. The titles and authors featured are all inside jokes about Clifton and Cincinnati history. For instance, “I Know Where the Bodies Are Buried” by Adolph Strauch: He was the 19^th century designer and landscaper of Spring Grove Cemetery. Israel Ludlow was a surveyor who helped to found Cincinnati. The Academy of the Sacred Heart on Lafayette Avenue was built to look like an English castle. “Schnecken: A Tale of Butter and Cinnamon,” by Virginia Bakery: this recalls the beloved bakery famous for a pastry sold from the shop where we now find J. Gumbo’s. Sharp observers will notice that the wisteria arbor next to J. Gumbo’s still has “Virginia Bakery” etched into the wood.

By Margaret Reich, with Kip Eagen

This article was first published in the Summer 2022 Clifton Chronicle.

Six bronze plaques were imbedded in the sidewalks of the Ludlow Avenue business district in 2010 as part of a larger Ludlow Avenue revitalization project, which also included establishment of the seating area at Ludlow and Telford. The plaques were designed and fabricated by the Andrews/LeFevre Studios in New York City, guided by input from our community. The plaques commemorate the history, buildings and businesses of Clifton.

The Clifton residents who worked with the city on this project included Jinny Berten, Kip Eagen, Phil Herrick, and Steve Schuckman with the support of ArtWorks. The intention was to create visually striking works of art called “Art Carpets.” The content is whimsical in nature with visual puns and “insider” references to local history. These public art works are unique to Clifton within Cincinnati. 

The largest plaque sits in front of Clifton Plaza. Look carefully and the images are self-explanatory, celebrating some of Clifton’s exceptional architecture, like the allegedly haunted house on Cornell Avenue. A favorite true story is remembered, of the cow that escaped a Camp Washington slaughterhouse and evaded capture in Mt. Storm Park for 12 days. Some of the Art Carpets are related to nearby buildings (one at the Esquire Theatre, one in front of Graeter’s Ice Cream). Let me know which plaque you’d next like to know about at cliftonccf@gmail.com.