Gwynne Building

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Gwynne Building
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Location6th and Main Sts, Cincinnati, Ohio
Coordinates 39°6′11″N84°30′36″W / 39.10306°N 84.51000°W / 39.10306; -84.51000
Built1913
Architect Ernest Flagg
Architectural style Beaux-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]

Contents

History

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

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 a few 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] In 2024, HGC Construction launched a complete conversion of the historic property into a luxury Pendry Hotel brand; though those plans are no longer on the table, the transformation into a luxury hotel property continued throughout 2025. [17] Franklin, Sydney. "Plans inch forward to convert long-vacant Downtown office buildings to hotels". Cincinnati Enquirer [date=August 9, 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.


References

  1. 1 2 "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. 1 2 3 "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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tweh, Bowdeya (July 14, 2014). "Former P&G headquarters for sale". The Cincinnati Enquirer . Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  9. 1 2 "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. 1 2 "Queen City Tour: 77. Gwynne Building". Queen City Tour. 15 November 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "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.{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  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. 1 2 "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.
  17. ↑ Th.
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