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Have you ever been to the Emery Theater? It turns 100 years old this year. Fortunately for all of us, the Emery is getting some much-needed attention and restoration. A non-profit group called the Requiem Project is restoring the old theater and plans to turn the surrounding space into an arts center. They kick off that effort with a fundraiser on Friday (11/11/11).

Emery Theater was originally constructed as an auditorium for the Ohio Mechanics Institute. It opened in 1911. It was later home to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra until they moved to Music Hall in 1937. The Emery Theater is so acoustically pure that it has often been compared to Carnegie Hall.

On the Emery’s stage over the years appeared Russian ballet dancer Nijinsky, actresses Bette Davis and Katherine Cornell and composer George Gershwin, who played his famous ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra shortly after he had premiered it at Carnegie Hall in New York.

Perhaps you visited there to watch an old flick and listen to the pipe organ from the RKO Albee Theater in the 70′s?  I know I did!  The Marx Brothers movies were especially enjoyable.

What concerts did you enjoy there?  Were you at Todd Rungren’s Second Wind Tour on August 24, 1991?

The centennial celebration of The Emery Theater will begin on Friday 11/11/2011.  Friday evening features cocktails, dinner, theater tour, local arts showcase concert and an After Party. For tickets go http://event.emerytheater.com  

On Saturday, November 12th, there will be a press event with a lecture, presentation, and discussion of the architectural renderings hosted by Requiem Project Artistic Directors with the architectural team selected to revitalize the theatre – acclaimed Cincinnati architect John Senhauser and the nationally-renowned architectural firm Westlake, Reed, and Leskosky. After this Saturday presentation, Madcap Puppet Theatre will perform on stage, the Cincinnati Zoo will visit with their “Wildlife Comes to You Program,” and Chipotle will sponsor lunch for attendees.

Saturday evening (11/12) there will be a movie event, and on Sunday (11/13), the Cincinnati Children’s Choir is scheduled to perform.

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Welcome to a new feature of Unique Cincinnati, a contest we are calling the “Where In Zinzinnati? Challenge.”  For each challenge we will show a closeup of a photo of a significant place in or near Cincinnati, and invite guesses in the comment thread. The answer will be revealed with a post featuring the place or item from the challenge.

Test your knowledge of the small details of interesting and noteworthy places in and around Cincinnati.  Here is this week’s “Where in Zinzinnati? Challenge” photo clue:

Where in Cincinnati is this? Make your guesses in the comment thread, and have fun!

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"...Where Paddock Meets Vine at the Indian Sign"

Big Indian Sign Podcast

You know you’re an old timer in Cincinnati if you remember the television commercial slogan “Where Paddock meets Vine at the Indian Sign!”  This is the home of the old Cherokee motors on Vine Street in Hartwell. The big Indian has been gracing the intersection of Paddock and Vine for 60 years now. Rumor has it that this is Pontiac.  Chief Pontiac is a landmark in Hartwell. This is such a crazy intersection because not only does paddock meet Vine, but Vine meets Anthony Wayne Highway, and all of that is just a few yards from North Bend.

This intersection is one strange intersection.  It has no right angles so as you’re entering the intersection you have to also turn your car at just the right angle to stay in your lane.  Many a time has chief Pontiac pointed the way as I steered down Vine Street.

This fifty-foot metal Chief Pontiac has been pointing to a car dealership of one kind or another for over 60 years now.  Did you know that the big Indian was once lit up with neon?  Did you know his left arm used to swing up and down?

When I was growing up in Cincinnati, reaching the big Indian sign meant we were about halfway to Grandma’s house.  Seeing Chief Pontiac made that the seemingly long journey much more tolerable.

Of course today this kind of sign is considered offensive to the Native American community.  That caricature includes the stereotypes of braided hair, large nose, feather in the hair and leather moccasins.  Chief Pontiac would not be made anew these days.

But put your political correctness aside and drive out to Hartwell to enjoy one of Cincinnati’s great iconic signs.  Here are some brief directions:

From the North: come south on Interstate 75 and take the Paddock Road exit.  Turn right at the end of the exit ramp and you will find the big Indian sign on your left about one fourth of a mile.

From the self: space come north on Interstate 75 and take the Paddock Road exit.  Turn left at the end of the exit ramp and you will find the big Indian sign on your left about one fourth of a mile.

Should chief Pontiac ever need to leave this spot, I hope he will be welcome with all the other wonderful signs available to see at the Cincinnati Sign Museum on Essex Place.

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The Chestnut Street Cemetery, also known as the Old Jewish Cemetery, is the first Jewish cemetery in Cincinnati, and the oldest Jewish cemetery west of the Allegheny Mountains.

Chestnut Street Cemetery, Oldest Jewish Cemetery in Cincinnati

The cemetery has 85 graves, and was used from 1821 to 1849.  It is owned by the Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati.  This non-profit group maintains the grounds and has painstakingly photographed every marker in the cemetery. At their website is a genealogy database which provides access to more than 30,000 burial records. Almost half of their records include a photograph of the marker.

Old Jewish Cemetery Headstones

The Chestnut Street Cemetery is a research project just waiting for a history enthusiast, as many of the grave markers have incomplete entries, such as a last name but no first name, or a complete name but no date of death.  Many of the headstones are in Hebrew only.  And twenty-seven of the markers are simply listed as “Hebrew Stone” lacking name or date of death.

Headstone in Hebrew at Chestnut Street Cemetery - Oldest Jewish Cemetery West of the Allegheny Mountains

And where is the first marker from 1821?  Is the marker of Benjamin Lieb (or Lape) one of those “Hebrew Stones?” He begged to be buried as a Jew, but in 1821 there was no Jewish burial ground in Cincinnati. Morris Moses and Joseph Jonas, two of Cincinnati’s six Jews, bought a small plot of ground for $75 from Nicholas Longworth to be used as a cemetery and Lieb (Lape) was the first to be buried there.

Chestnut Street Cemetery Plaque

On April 30th, 1931, a historic plaque was installed at the cemetery. The text of the plaque reads: “The oldest Jewish Cemetery west of the Allegheny Mountains   Opened by K.K. Bene Israel in 1821 and used until 1849″ K.K. Bene Israel is the original name of the Rockdale Temple.

The cemetery became filled during the cholera epidemic of 1849. A gate and brick wall were added in 1873. The gate is locked, but it is possible to look at the cemetery through the chain link fence.

Chestnut Street Cemetery As Seen Through the Chain-Link Fence

We enjoyed the warm weather and the greenery around the Chestnut Street Cemetery.  The grounds are well-kept, and the green moss on the headstones added to the mystery of the place.

We tried to imagine Cincinnati in 1931, when the memorial plaque was newly installed. The cemetery was over half empty at that point, and nobody had any idea that eighteen years later a cholera epidemic would strike the city, filling the cemetery years before its predicted capacity.

Chestnut Street Cemetery prior to 1940

Chestnut Street Cemetery – Old Jewish Cemetery Visitor Information

Address:   400 Chestnut Street, Cincinnati OH  45203

Admission: cemetery is closed and locked, but can be viewed through the chain-link fence
Phone:513-961-0178 (Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati)

Web Site: http://www.jcemcin.org

Transit: 12th St & Central Pkwy (0.1 mi E) 1,6,16,20,49

Parking:Clark Street, John Street, Central Avenue, and the Town Center Garage on Central Parkway behind Music Hall

Locator Map:

View Larger Map

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James Gamble, one of the founders of the Procter & Gamble Company, lived in this home until his death in 1891. Currently the 8400 square foot multiple-occupancy home is a rental unit and not open to the public.

The James Gamble House at 422 Clark Street

James Gamble was born in Ireland in 1803. When he was young, he didn’t want to continue in his father’s nursery business so he apprenticed with a small soap factory, run by a Mr. Bell. In 1828, he went into business for himself on Walnut Street, where he made soap and candles. He met William Procter, who was manufacturing candles. The two businesses fit so well together that they decided to unite their businesses and in 1837, the famous partnership began. Procter ran the office and Gamble ran the factory. In October 1879, the first bar of Ivory – the soap that floats – was sold.

James Gamble, co-founder of the Procter & Gamble Company

James Gamble leased this house starting in 1859, and purchased it in 1889. At the time of the 1870 Census, James Gamble and his wife Elizabeth were residing on Clark Street with five children, ages 14 – 29, and two servants.

Venue: The James Gamble House
Address: 422 Clark Street, Cincinnati OH  45203
Admission: none – no public access

Hours: no public access
Transit: 12th St & Central Pkwy (0.1 mi E) 1,6,16,20,49
Parking: Clark Street, John Street, Central Avenue, and the Town Center Garage on Central Parkway behind Music Hall
Location:  39° 6.458′ N, 84° 31.338′ W

Map:

View Larger Map

The James Gamble House Historical Plaque

Historical Marker: yes

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Front of the Betts House Research Center, 416 Clark Street, Cincinnati OH

Venue: The Betts House Research Center
Address: 416 Clark Street, Cincinnati OH  45203
Admission: $2
Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, (11 am – 2 pm) and second and fourth Saturdays a month (12:30 – 5pm). Other days and times are available by appointment.
Closures: Closed annually on January 1, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and December 25. Call ahead in the months of December and January, as there are additional closures due to holiday schedules.
Phone: (513) 651-0734
Web Site: http://thebettshouse.org
Transit: 12th St & Central Pkwy (0.1 mi E) 1,6,16,20,49
Parking:Clark Street, John Street, Central Avenue, and the Town Center Garage on Central Parkway behind Music Hall
Children’s Events: Family Fun Saturdays are held monthly most months. Features a hands-on craft activity about a specific architectural style from American history. Activities are suitable for children ages 5 – 10; coloring activities related to theme will be available for younger children. Families can participate throughout the day, and no advanced registration is required. All crafts are included in the regular $2 admission.

Free Tours: school groups and home school groups may tour the Center for free.

Betts House Locator Map - Click For Directions

Location: 39° 6.46′ N, 84° 31.326′ W

State Historical Marker: Yes – read the inscription at the Historical Marker Database

The Betts House, built in 1804, is the oldest residential structure in the downtown Cincinnati area and the oldest brick house in Ohio still on its original site. In its early years, the house was the hub of activity on a busy, 111 acre working farm.  Today we refer to its location as a couple of blocks down from Music Hall in the West End.

William Betts and his wife Phebe (nee Stevens) traveled from Pennsylvania down the Ohio by flatboat in 1800 to newly-founded Cincinnati. Betts went into brick making.  Five generations of the Betts family lived in the brick house. Over two dozen children were raised within its walls. When the 1811 New Madrid Earthquakes rocked the Ohio River valley,  an early Betts House kitchen addition was damaged beyond repair, but the main house weathered the quakes without notable structural harm.

As Cincinnati grew in population, the Betts acreage was subdivided, at first for its own family members. By 1855 nearly every lot was developed, and in Cincinnati there were 30,000 residents per square mile, the highest density in the nation at the time.

By 1870, industry started to move away, leaving behind an over-crowded neighborhood. The last of the Betts family to live in the house moved out in 1879, and the Betts house was sold in 1892.

The neighborhood went into further decline when it was cut off from the rest of the city by the construction of Ezzard Charles Drive to Union Terminal and Interstate 75. By 1968, only 1200 residents remained, and many the area’s fine homes fell into ruin.

In 1988, Martha Tuttle, William Betts’ great-great-granddaughter,  purchased the Betts house and an extensive renovation was begun. Renovations were completed by 1990. Today the Betts House is owned by The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the State of Ohio, which leases the home to the non-profit organization Betts House Research Center, which operates the house as a museum.

Betts House founder Martha Tuttle passed away in September, 2008. To read more about this remarkable woman and her efforts to save the Betts House, visit this page at the Betts House website.

Unlike many Cincinnati historical homes open for public tours, the Betts House is unfurnished. But this is not to say the house is empty. Betts House Director, Julie Carpenter, has developed a rich program related to the architectural and cultural history of Cincinnati. Ms. Carpenter opens the space up as a gallery for local artists, who share an interest in the built environment and regional history.  One such exhibit was on display at our visit, called HOME WORK, featuring items for the home inspired by architectural decorative elements found in Over-the-Rhine.

Betts House Fireplace

I appreciated the attention to detail. The dashed lines on the floors and wall designate the original structures. In the photo to the left you can see large dashed lines marking the old hearth around the present-day fireplace, for example. You can also see the find decorative pieces of ceramics and needlework from the exhibit on the mantle and walls.

It is wonderful to see the original wood refurbished and repolished. Of note is the intact staircase – circa 1850.

Don’t miss the Betts House timeline that spans the walls of one of the back rooms. From the time line I learned that when the Betts house was constructed, Lewis and Clark started their expedition.  The Betts family witnessed the construction of both Fountain Square and the University of Cincinnati.

Taking young children? We recommend visiting only on one of the Family Fun Saturdays. Most of the exhibits language is geared for fifth grade and higher.

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College Hill Coffee Company

Need a relaxed atmosphere to sip coffee while sitting on comfy cushions of an overstuffed chair? Sound better than home? Then head on over to College Hill Coffee Company at the corner of Hamilton and N. Bend roads. (Plenty of free parking in back).

There have been numerous coffee shops and restaurants at this busy corner, but in my opinion this is the best so far. The hours are posted and regular, you can have a full lunch or dinner if you so desire, and on the weekends there is live folk music.

College Hill Coffee Company is a Comfortable Place to Meet Friends

My favorite part of this coffee house is the section with overstuffed chairs and sofas, where you can relax with friends over a great cup of joe!  The food is delicious, as well. I love their chili!

Do yourself a favor and go taste the flavors over at College Hill Coffee Company!

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Pink Cadillac Cookie Jar

Tonight we had a peaceful and delicious home cooked meal at Riley’s Restaurant in the Greenhills Shopping Center. The Greenhills Shopping Center is a historical place in itself, being one of the first, if not THE first strip mall in the United States.

The staff were friendly, the dinner arrived warm and quickly, and the new Saturday Night Buffet for 13.95 was worth the price. The background music was pleasant. The regular menu is also available on Saturday nights, so there is something for everyone.

Riley’s opened a second restaurant in Springdale about a year and half ago. Rest assured, though, this chain of two restaurants is all local. The Riley family began the Greenhills location in the 80′s.

If you look around the restaurant you will see an extensive collection of ceramic cookie jars on wooden shelves adorning every wall and filling every nook and cranny. There are over 200 cookie jars on display. They look like quite the collector’s items.

Note in 2010: Riley’s Greenhills location has been closed, and all the cookie jars are now at the Springdale location.

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Uncle Al

Those of you in your late forties to early sixties probably have a glossy 8 x 10 black and white group photograph which includes you sitting in front of the barn on the set of the long-running local children’s show “The Uncle Al Show.” It was one of the major rites of childhood for children growing up in or near Cincinnati. The Uncle Al Show was the longest running children’s program in the history of commercial television. It ran from 1950 – 1985 on WCPO-TV channel 9.

Al Lewis passed away February 28th and his passing brings up such happy memories for so many of the children of Cincinnati.