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.