Cincinnati Zoo Historic Structures | |
Reptile House | |
Location | 3400 Vine St., Cincinnati, Ohio |
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Coordinates | 39°8′33″N84°30′34″W / 39.14250°N 84.50944°W Coordinates: 39°8′33″N84°30′34″W / 39.14250°N 84.50944°W |
Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
Built | 1880 |
Architect | James W. McLaughlin |
Architectural style | East Indian Temple |
NRHP reference No. | 87000905 [1] |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | February 27, 1987 |
Designated NHL | February 27, 1987 |
Cincinnati Zoo District | |
Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
Location | Cincinnati Zoological Gardens, Cincinnati |
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Area | 25 acres (10 ha) |
Built | 1876 |
NRHP reference No. | 75001415 [1] |
Removed from NRHP | January 1, 1999 |
The Cincinnati Zoo Historic Structures are a collection of historically significant buildings at the Cincinnati Zoo in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. They were designated a National Historic Landmark on February 27, 1987.
The second oldest zoo in the United States, it opened to the public in September 1875. Significant for the antiquity and richness of its collections and for its efforts in the propagation and nurture of rare and endangered species, it was well known as the home of Martha, the last passenger pigeon. [2]
Four zoo buildings were listed on the National Register in 1975 as the "Cincinnati Zoo District", although they were removed in 1999. This district comprised the Kemper Log Cabin (built in 1804 and moved to the zoo in 1912), the Aviary, the Monkey House, and the Elephant House. These buildings were the oldest existing structures in the Cincinnati Zoo complex at the time. [3] Two of the buildings were separately included in the "Cincinnati Zoo Historic Structures" designation in 1987 and named a National Historic Landmark: the Monkey House and the Elephant House. [2] Built of concrete and stone, [4] the Monkey House had been constructed by 1880, along with the Aviary, although the Elephant House was built in 1902. Space for all of these animals has been a component of the zoo since its earliest years: when it first opened in 1875, its collection comprised the menagerie of Andrew Erkenbrecker, a prominent bird collector who desired to form the country's first zoological gardens. Besides a group of birds that he had collected, Erkenbrecker owned a group of mammals of all types, including multiple monkeys as well as an elephant that he had bought from a circus. [3]
Equipped with minarets and a windowed dome, the Elephant House was built to evoke the Taj Mahal and a sense of contemporary India. This concrete structure measures 150 by 75 feet (46 m × 23 m) in length and height respectively. In building such a structure, the zoo followed the pattern of many other zoos, which constructed animal houses in the styles of the countries whence the animals came, but the Elephant House was one of the last zoo buildings in the United States constructed with such a philosophy. Designed by architects Elzner and Anderson, it was placed atop the zoo's highest hill. Its original cost was $50,000, and in later years the zoo has expended further money on renovations. [5] :32
Originally built as the Monkey House, the Reptile House is a round Moorish Revival building designed by James W. McLaughlin for use as the aviary. Its design centers around a large dome more than 40 feet (12 m) high, with numerous windows and skylights that enable it to be lit by sunlight, in addition to Corinthian columns. Although it was expanded in 1922 by the construction of a veterinary hospital, the zoo arranged for an extensive remodelling to prepare it for the reptiles that were first placed within it in 1951. Zoo historians claim the Reptile House as the oldest zoo building anywhere in the United States. [5] :26 The original Aviary no longer stands, having been destroyed in the 1970s; [5] :119 a collection of gorilla exhibits occupies the site now. [5] :69 The Kemper Log Cabin is also gone, having been moved to Sharon Woods Village in Sharonville in January 1982. [6]
London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. In 1831 or 1832, the animals of the Tower of London menagerie were transferred to the zoo's collection. It was opened to the public in 1847. Today, it houses a collection of 673 species of animals, with 19,289 individuals, making it one of the largest collections in the United Kingdom. The zoo is sometimes called Regent's Zoo.
The Bronx Zoo is a zoo located within Bronx Park in the Bronx, New York. It is one of the largest zoos in the United States by area, and is the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States by area, comprising 265 acres (107 ha) of park lands and naturalistic habitats separated by the Bronx River. On average, the zoo has 2.15 million visitors each year as of 2009.
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is the sixth-oldest zoo in the United States, opening in 1873, after the Roger Williams Park Zoo (1872). It is located in the Avondale neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. It originally began with 64.5 acres in the middle of the city, but has spread into the neighboring blocks and several reserves in Cincinnati's outer suburbs. It was appointed as a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
The Philadelphia Zoo, located in the Centennial District of Philadelphia, on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, was the first true zoo in the United States. It was chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, but its opening was delayed by the Civil War until July 1, 1874. The zoo opened with 1,000 animals and an admission price of 25 cents. For a brief time, the zoo also housed animals brought over from safari on behalf of the Smithsonian Institution, which had not yet built the National Zoo.
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska, located at 3701 South 10th Street. It can be accessed by I-80. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Its mission is conservation, research, recreation, and education. In August 2014, TripAdvisor proclaimed Henry Doorly Zoo the "world's best zoo", leading San Diego Zoo and Loro Parque, based on an algorithmic assimilation of millions of reviews for 275 major zoos worldwide.
A log cabin is a small log house, especially a less finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first generation home building by settlers.
Lincoln Park Zoo is a 35-acre (14 ha) zoo in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois. The zoo was founded in 1868, making it the fourth oldest zoo in North America. It is also one of a few free admission zoos in the United States. The zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
Melbourne Zoo is a zoo in Melbourne, Australia. It is located within Royal Park in Parkville, approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north of the centre of Melbourne. It is the primary zoo serving Melbourne. The zoo contains more than 320 animal species from Australia and around the world, and is accessible via Royal Park station on the Upfield railway line, and is also accessible via tram routes 58 and 19, as well as by bicycle on the Capital City Trail. Bicycles are not allowed inside the zoo itself.
Chester Zoo is a zoo at Upton-by-Chester, in Cheshire, England. Chester Zoo was opened in 1931 by George Mottershead and his family. It is one of the UK's largest zoos at 51 hectares. The zoo has a total land holding of approximately 160 hectares.
The Maryland Zoo — also known as The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore and formerly known as The Baltimore City Zoo or the Baltimore Zoo — is a 135-acre park located in historic Druid Hill Park in the northwestern area of the City of Baltimore, Maryland, (U.S.A.), with the postal address of 1876 Mansion House Drive. Druid Hill was opened in 1876 as the first major park purchase by the City under foreseeing Mayor Thomas Swann (1809-1883), and was later designed by famed nationally-known landscaper Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903), with additional work on various park buildings contributed by future Baltimore City Hall architect George A. Frederick (1842-1924), and Park Commissioner John H.B. Latrobe, who also was an accomplished lawyer, author, artist, amateur architect and civic leader. Olmsted had earlier won a contest for the design of plans for New York City's famed Central Park in mid-town Manhattan in 1858, a year after it opened, and worked on the massive public works project during its construction from 1858 to 1873. The Maryland Zoo is now currently home to over 2,000 animals, and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
The Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden is a zoo that opened in 1928 in Evansville, Indiana, United States. It is located in Mesker Park on Evansville's northwest side and is run by the City of Evansville.
Blackpool Zoo is a 32-acre (13 ha) zoo, owned by Parques Reunidos and located in the sea-side resort of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It provides a home to over 1,350 animals from all over the world.
Antwerp Zoo is a zoo in the centre of Antwerp, Belgium, located next to the Antwerpen-Centraal railway station. It is the oldest animal park in the country, and one of the oldest in the world, established on 21 July 1843.
Wilhelma (help·info) is a zoological-botanical garden in Stuttgart in the Bad Cannstatt district in the north of the city on the grounds of a historic castle. Wilhelma Zoo is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Baden-Württemberg, seeing more than 2 million visitors annually.
The Denver Zoo is an 80-acre (32 ha) zoological garden located in City Park of Denver, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1896, it is owned by the City and County of Denver and funded in part by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). It is the most popular paid attraction in the Denver metropolitan area.
Utah's Hogle Zoo is a 42-acre (17 ha) zoo located in Salt Lake City, Utah. It houses animals from diverse ecosystems. It is located at the mouth of Emigration Canyon. Hogle is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
The ménagerie du Jardin des plantes is a zoo in Paris, France, belonging to the botanical garden Jardin des Plantes. It is the second oldest zoological garden in the world. Today it does not have very large animals like elephants, but a lot of rare smaller and medium-sized mammals and a variety of birds and reptiles.
The Milwaukee County Zoo is a zoo in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, operated by the Milwaukee County Parks Commission. The zoo houses 1,800 animals and covers an area of 190 acres (77 ha). It is noted for the second birth of polar bears and siamangs in captivity and for their locally famous gorilla Samson, who lived from 1950 to 1981 and whose bones are now on display at the Milwaukee Public Museum. During World War II, a celebrity animal of the zoo was Gertie the Duck and her ducklings. The zoo is also home to one of the largest group of bonobos in one location outside their native Democratic Republic of the Congo, and has two cheetahs from the National Zoo in Washington, DC.
Heritage Village Museum is a recreated 1800s community in Southwestern Ohio, in the United States. The village contains 13 historic buildings from around the Cincinnati area; they were moved here to save them from destruction. The village is located within Sharon Woods Park in Sharonville, Ohio.
The Old Zoo in Poznań is one of the oldest zoological gardens in Poland, located in the city of Poznań, Greater Poland Voivodeship. It was founded in 1874 and was included on the register of objects of cultural heritage in 1978 as a unique example of a vivarium. The zoo started as a few animals kept by a restaurant owner in the early 1870s. It can thus be considered the oldest continuously operating Polish zoological garden. Together with the New Zoo in Poznań, which opened in 1974, it forms an integral part of the whole complex known as The Zoological Garden in Poznań.