walking the steps of A Guide to the Queen City’s Scenic & Historic Secrets

Mary Anna DuSablon

Second Edition, Revised and Updated by Connie J. Harrell & John Cicmanec Maps by Brian E. Balsley

university press athens

contents

Foreword by Roxanne Qualls, Mayor of Cincinnati, 1993–99, xi Preface to the 2014 Edition, xiii Preface to the First Edition, xvii Acknowledgments, xxi Introduction, xxiii Approximate Walk Length in Miles, xxv

The Legendary Staircases

Mount Adams Walk No. 1. The Good Friday Pilgrimage. The Ancient Penitential Drama. Sawyer Point Steps, Celestial Street Steps, Saint Gregory Street Steps, Guido Street Steps, Pavilion Street Steps, Saint Paul Place Steps, and Oregon Street Steps, 4 Walk No. 2. Garden of Eden. The Longworth Name. Steps, 10 Walk No. 3. Genius Loci. Atop the Mount Adams Incline. Art Museum Steps, Elsinore Place Steps, Carney Street Steps, Fort View Place Steps, and Playhouse in the Park Steps, 16 Walk No. 4. Science Stroll. The Observatory. 6th Street Steps, Celestial Street Steps, Monastery Street Steps, and Court Street Steps, 23

Mount Auburn Walk No. 5. Prospect Hill. Caroline Williams. Hiram Street Steps, Young Street Steps, Ringgold Street Steps, Auburn Avenue Steps, Josephine Street Steps, Estelle Street Steps, and Broadway Street Steps, 30 Walk No. 6. The Main Street Steps. The Mount Auburn Incline. Pendleton Street Steps, Spring Street Steps, Broadway Steps, MansWeld Street Steps, Main Street Steps, Gage Street Steps, Vine Street Steps, Ohio Avenue Steps, Rice Street Steps, Frintz Street Steps, Sharp Alley Steps, and Lang Street Steps, 37

Price’s Hills Walk No. 7. Mount Hope. From Horsecar to Hilltop House. Maryland Avenue Steps, Olden View Park Steps, Mount Hope Avenue Steps, and Ansonia Avenue Steps, 44 Walk No. 8. Mount Echo. The Men Who Built the Steps. Pica Street Steps, Murdock Avenue Steps, and Mount Echo Park Steps, 50 Walk No. 9. Mount Harrison. The Tale of Two Mansions. Fairbanks Avenue Steps, Woodlawn Avenue Steps, Del Monte Place Steps, Kingston Place Steps, Wing Street Steps, Wessels Avenue Steps, Carson Avenue Steps, La Clede Avenue Steps, and Van Vey Street Steps, 56

vii Fairmount Walk No. 10. North Fairmount. Shooter’s Hill. Annie Oakley. Western Hills Viaduct Steps, Beekman Street Steps, Linden Street Steps, Casper Street Steps, and St. Clair Heights Park Steps, 64 Walk No. 11. South Fairmount. The Legends of Bald Knob Mountain. Rankin Street Steps, Adler Street Steps, and Engel Place Steps, 69

Over-the-Rhine Walk No. 12. Findlay Market to Bellevue Hill. The Bellevue Incline. Ohio Avenue Steps, Bellevue Park Steps, Vine Street Steps, and Frintz Street Steps, 74

Clifton Heights Walk No. 13. Fairview Hill. The Fairview Incline. Fairview Park Steps, Warner Street Steps, Brighton Place Steps, and City View Place Steps, 80 Walk No. 14. Brighton Hill. Straight Street and Ravine Street. Straight Street Steps, Wagner Street Steps, Clemmer Avenue Steps, and Rush Street Steps, 85

The Walnut Hills Walk No. 15. Celebrity Tour. The Boundary Line. Park Avenue Steps, University of Cincinnati Steps, Wilkinson Avenue Steps, Florence Avenue–Kenton Street Bridge Steps, Eden Park Steps, Martin Luther King Steps, McMillan Street Steps, and Earnshaw Avenue Steps, 90 Walk No. 16. O’Bryonville to the . DeSales Corner. Cleinview Steps, Collins Avenue to the Ohio River, Torrence Court, Torrence, Elmhurst Avenue Steps, Elmhurst footbridge, Elmhurst staircase, O’Bryonville shops, Owl’s Nest Park, Annwood Park, and Keys Crescent Lane, 98

Mount Lookout Walk No. 17. Mount Lookout Square. The Delta Avenue Connections. Lookout Lane Steps, Griest Avenue Steps, Inglenook Place Steps, and Fawn Alley Steps, 106 Walk No. 18. Around . Dance Steps. Ault Park Steps, Parkline Avenue Steps, Pinehurst Avenue Steps, and Avery Lane Steps, 110 Walk No. 19. Grandin Road. The Ill-Fated Viaduct. Grandin Road Steps, Ellison Avenue Steps, Herlin Lane Steps, and Beverly Hill Drive Steps, 114

Elberon Heights Walk No. 20. Overlook Avenue. Prosperity Place. Ashbrook Drive Steps, Prosperity Place Steps, Belvoir Lane Steps, and Covedale Avenue Steps, 120

viii • contents Mount Tusculum Walk No. 21. Columbia–Tusculum. The Friendliest Hill. Delta Avenue Steps, McDowell Street Steps, Strafer Street Steps, Woodbridge Place Steps, Steps, and Donham Avenue Steps, 126

The Western Terraces Walk No. 22. Riverside. The Anderson Ferry. Bowditch Street Steps, McGinnis Avenue Steps, Clyde Street Steps, Baurichter Street Steps, Wisconsin Avenue Steps, and Henrietta Avenue Steps, 132

Twelve Memorable Stepways Walk No. 23. Avondale. Rose Hill Lane Steps and Steps, 140 Walk No. 24. Old Clifton. Steps, Lakewood Avenue Steps, Irma Avenue Steps, Bishop Street Steps, and Glenmary Avenue Steps, 143 Walk No. 25. Linwood. Beechmont Viaduct Steps, Ascension Walk Steps, Linwood School Steps, and Hutton Avenue Steps, 146 Walk No. 26. Chris O’Malley’s Ridge Walk. Elsinore Avenue Steps, Liberty Hill Steps, Hiram Street Steps, Young Street Steps, Main Street Steps, Gage Street Steps, Vine Street Steps, Ohio Avenue Steps, City View Place Steps, and Fairview Park Steps, 149 Walk No. 27. Old Milford. Mill Street Steps, GarWeld Street Steps, Elm Street Steps, and Locust Street Steps, 152 Walk No. 28. Norwood. Beech Street Steps, Water Works Park Steps, and Quatman Avenue Steps, 154 Walk No. 29. Oakley. Oakley Park Steps, Kilbourne Avenue Steps, Celeron Avenue Steps, Gilmore Avenue Steps, and Oakpark Place Steps, 157 Walk No. 30. Crossing the Ohio River Bridges. Roebling Suspension Bridge Steps, Serpentine Wall Steps, Central Bridge Steps, and General James Taylor Park Steps, 159 Walk No. 31. Riverside Drive. Lumber Street Steps, St. Rose Church and overlook, Gotham Street Steps, Saint Andrew’s Steps, Wenner Underpass and Steps, Walworth Street, and Ohio River Trail, 164 Walk No. 32. Sayler Park. Ivanhoe Avenue Steps, Twain Avenue Steps, Monitor Avenue Steps, Thelma Avenue Steps, Elco Avenue Steps, Laura Lane Steps, Gracely Drive Steps, Catalpa Avenue Steps, and Topinabee Drive Steps, 167 Walk No. 33. University of Cincinnati. University of Cincinnati Steps and McMicken Hall Stairs, 171 Walk No. 34. Westwood. Belden Circle Steps, Pickbury Drive Steps, and Dartmouth Drive Steps, 174

Bibliography, 177 Index, 181

contents • ix

introduction

Walking the Steps of Cincinnati is a field guide to 34 ultra- scenic, “perpendicular public paths” throughout twenty-six distinc- tive neighborhoods. The primary 22 walks contain staircases that are legendary for one reason or many reasons, including length and local prominence. The 12 additional walks are more or less irresisti- ble, depending on your affection for the neighborhood or stepways in general. Cincinnatians are familiar with the most famous flights of steps, best known by the street names for which they serve as extensions. Other stairs promise the thrill of discovery. Each walk in “The Legendary Staircases” is described by length, the character of the neighborhood and the realm of its vistas, how many stairs there are and how steep they are, and so on. Precise, easy-to-follow directions for your circumambulation follow, with a neighborhood map. Historical essays offer a glimpse into each area’s singular cultural heritage. The “Twelve Memorable Stepways” are briefly outlined for your extended enjoyment. Directions to the starting points are not given for the simple reason that they are for the most part well known and can be quickly ascertained on any city map. Most readers will approach the various walks by car. Downtown residents and hotel guests may access the Mount Adams, Mount Auburn, Fairview, Over- the-Rhine, and Ohio River walks by foot. All starting points are on Metro routes. Depending on how fast you walk and how long you linger at the fantastic sights, each walk takes a minimum of 45 minutes. Rest, water, refreshments, and toilet facilities are usually close by, although some park facilities, including pumps to give your dog a drink of water, are seasonal. City and park benches can usually be found by the foot-weary, and there are always the steps themselves when a respite is needed. Many of the steps are illuminated at night, all night. Most of the steps are in excellent condition and in reasonably safe, well-traveled neighborhoods, unless otherwise noted. Not all the Cincinnati steps were included; a List of Hillside Steps is available from Public Works. Some steps were redundant or too isolated, including many expressway overpass steps, or, like the cute little steps around Hyde Park Square, not substantial enough to whip up a walk. And unfortunately, some public and park stair- cases were ruled out because they were in unsafe or thoroughly un- pleasant locations.

xxiii It would not be a bad idea to read through each walk before you attempt it so that you have a good idea what you’re getting into. Some walks, such as Riverside and Oakley, are far easier to accom- plish than, say, Mount Harrison. See you on the Cincinnati steps!

xxiv • introduction approximate walk lengths in miles

The distances listed below include the actual measured map distance, plus an additional 0.1–0.2 miles added to account for ele- vation change. Walks with two listed distances contain alternate routes that are described in the text and clearly shown on the cor- responding map.

Walk 1. The Good Friday Pilgrimage: 1.7 miles Walk 2. Garden of Eden: 2.6 miles Walk 3. Genius Loci: 2.5 miles Walk 4. Science Stroll: 2.3 miles Walk 5. Prospect Hill: 2.3 miles Walk 6. The Main Street Steps: 2.4 miles Walk 7. Mount Hope: 2.2 miles Walk 8. Mount Echo: 1.6 miles Walk 9. Mount Harrison: 4.0 (or 5) miles Walk 10. North Fairmount: 1.7 miles Walk 11. South Fairmount: 2.0 miles Walk 12. Findlay Market to Bellevue Hills: 2.2 miles Walk 13. Fairview Hill: 2.2 miles Walk 14. Brighton Hill: 1.6 (or 1.5) miles Walk 15. Celebrity Tour: 4.5 (or 4.4) miles Walk 16. O’Bryonville to the Ohio River: 3.9 (or 4.0) miles Walk 17. Mount Lookout Square: 2.6 miles Walk 18. Around Ault Park: 3.5 miles Walk 19. Grandin Road: 2.9 miles Walk 20. Overlook Avenue: 3.7 miles Walk 21.Columbia–Tusculum: 2.8 miles Walk 22. Riverside: 3.1 miles Walk 23. Avondale: 2.5 miles Walk 24. Old Clifton: 2.8 miles Walk 25. Linwood: 2.7 miles Walk 26. Chris O’Malley’s Ridge Walk: 3.7 miles Walk 27. Old Milford: 1 mile (approximate). No mapped walk route is provided. Walk 28. Norwood: 5.1 miles Walk 29. Oakley: 1.8 miles Walk 30. Crossing the Ohio River Bridges: 4.2 miles Walk 31. Riverside Park: 3.2 miles Walk 32. Sayler Park: 3.7 miles Walk 33. University of Cincinnati: 1.8 miles Walk 34. Westwood: 2.8 (or 4.5) miles

xxv

The Legendary Staircases

Mout n Adams

moved from Knoxville to Cincinnati not expecting to be Iable to continue the types of hikes and walks found in Ten- nessee. Glancing at an ordinary street map, I took exploratory walks around my Mount Auburn home, and they were quite sat- isfactory. Soon I was organizing long walks, climbing steps up to the heights of Mount Adams, crisscrossing through Mount Auburn, connecting up to Clifton Heights, descending into Fair- view, even across the viaducts to Fairmount. I had connected, by foot, six of Cincinnati’s hills with steps I only guessed were there. If there was a park at the top of a hill, I said to myself, there’s got to be steps. And there were. Chris O’Malley

 Walk No. 1

1.7 miles

The Good Friday Pilgrimage

This first walk features Cincinnati’s most famous set of steps, seven flights that connect Saint Gregory Street with Holy Cross Immaculata Church (formerly known as Church). At the summit, you are treated to an exhilarating pano- rama: a 10-mile stretch of the Ohio River; the vast, picturesque Ohio and Kentucky shorelines; the bridges; and the bird’s-eye view of the rooftops and chimney pots of Mount Adams. Hundreds of additional steps are included in the heavenward approach from the river basin to the statue of Mary dominating the skyline. Hundreds more guide you down. Back when it was called Mount Ida, Mount Adams was famous for being part of Nicholas Longworth’s Catawba grape vineyards. After the vines withered from disease in the mid- 1800s, immigrants bought and developed the land. The mount was renamed after a visit by President John Quincy Adams, an amateur astronomer, who came to dedicate the country’s first observatory, built on four acres donated by Longworth (the original observatory and the current observatories are discussed in Walk No. 4). Soon Mount Adams was populated with German Catholics, many of whom used the steps to access riverfront factories. These working- class folks were also responsible for establishing Cincinnati’s Good Friday pilgrimage up the stairs, which eventually captivated peni- tents of all faiths. The tradition proliferated, rain or shine, for almost a century (1860–1960), and, although it continues, the one-day ritual is far less dramatic than it once was. Today’s climbers and com- muters follow this acclaimed route with, perhaps, a more healthful than religious intent. Proposed changes by the community include

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OREGON rth side of Adams Crossing, walk to the Classical Re- the Classical walk to Crossing, rth of side Adams

MONASTERY MONASTERY WAREHAM EGGLESTON 50 £ ¤ feet. 600 feet. Way—elevation Washington and Fort Parkway This bridge is a card-carrying of member the National vival Stone Arch and the first of and the first of sets several Arch the Celestialvival Stone of Begin ascent these steps. your . Street Steps walk left onto Adams Crossing. Note the old red brick fire- the old red Note Crossing. Adams onto walk left elevation feet. 500 house, that lead up to the merging point of Pete Rose Way, River- Way, Rose the mergingthat lead point of up to Pete Rose the Pete walk east on or Crossing; Adams and side, sidewalk. Way

Steps Point the Sawyer the parkingalk east through lot to

ross the green-railed Celestial Street Bridge over Columbia Columbia the green-railed Bridge Celestial Street over ross ross to the sidewalk on the north side of Pete Rose Way, and Way, Rose the north on the sidewalk of side to ross Pete egin at the Bicentennial Commons parking lot at Eggleston VAN METER VAN C On the no C W B

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Avenue and Pete Rose Way; there is usually a small fee to park. a small is usually to fee there Way; Rose and Pete Avenue

hanging gardens along the steps to enhance the Old ambi- World ance while protecting one of the greatest city’s treasures from ero- and neglect.sion 71

§¨ ¦ I mount adams

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A W B F F L A ollow ablock, Guido Street half pausingto read the “Church ollow up, Gregory Saint ablock, half to Pavilion Street and eft on Pavilion Street to climb thetony red-tile-and-cement ehold, atthepinnacle, Holy Cross Immaculata Church. Take t the end of thebridge,t theendgo of upfive more and long flights five t the no-outlet end of Saint Paul Saint t theno-outletend of Place, discover you will the alk one block eastto Street; Gregory Saint cross to take in As you cansee, thiswalkiseasily accessed from 5thStreet.) Historic Register. (Note access bridge theadditional steps. at Riverview Place.at Riverview Enjoy theview. Turn right. to flights and Streets,reachHill Celestial short the corner of 10 to 12steps each. cial, blessed, Steps Street : SaintGregory Seven more flights, three corner ablock steps; to thefinal, then go left half offi- feet above800 feet sealevel. views.in thepanoramic church The promontory isabout on theleft, to Street. Gregory Saint plaque. Descend secluded thesomewhat Guido Steps Street , theSteps”of Mount Adams Preservation Association Mount Adams. the fountain thatdesignates themore-or-less center of Saint PaulSaint Place. occupied by the nation’s left onto turn first observatory; Now privately property, owned this isthesite originally which emanate chimes thebeautiful on hour. thequarter Renaissance–style Holy Cross Monastery andChurch, from Pavilion Steps Street to Paul Saint Place andtheItalian Steps. Follow thesesteps to Jerome Street; right. turn narrow, charming, definitely secluded SaintPaul Place 

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walk no. 1 no. walk mount adams 

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24 hours, the darkly clad peni- the good friday pilgrimage back to Bicentennial Commons and your parked car, note note car, parked and your Commons Bicentennial to back strips divider street that the beautifully planted contain the separate that used to ofsome the old cobblestones tangle of railroad in this same tracks exposed) (occasionally these trains vied with space for auto- Eventually, location. the and from as theymobiles to carried goods and produce “Little the read to Pause area. waterfront commercial city’s City of a on located plaque Cincinnati Railroad” Miami (more crosswalk Way Rose pillar near the Eggleston–Pete 16). No. Walk the railroad is discussedon in ter Monastery Street; follow the sidewalks to the bottom. to the sidewalks follow Street; Monastery ter that empty onto the that empty Street Steps onto Oregon sleekly-renovated Drive. Wareham and Street Meter Van ofcorner begin your steep descent of Street. descent begin steep Monastery your Rookwood restaurant. Pause to read the “Mount Adams” Adams” “Mount the read to Pause restaurant. Rookwood plaque. Association Preservation hen you reach Monastery Street, cross at the crosswalks and at the crosswalks cross Street, Monastery reach you hen bout halfway down, opposite Oregon Street, take the old-to- take Street, Oregon opposite down, bout halfway rd Street. Left on Eggleston Avenue. As you head you As Avenue. Eggleston on Left Street. ight 3rd on eft on Van Meter Street, curving reen- to block a long Street, around Meter Van on eft R L A W R

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tents mouthing a silent prayer on whethereach step mouthing a tents theysilent prayer began on Martin Street, Eggleston Avenue, Court Street, Sycamore Hill, or Saint Gregory Street. Many even prayed on the landings between staircases, accompanying each footstep with bowed, an Heads invocation as pinnacle. the the toward denser became and inched queue was discouraged. conversation averted, eyes Although the Cincinnati Catholic Diocese blessed only the concrete concrete the only blessed Diocese Catholic Cincinnati the Although steps fronting Holy Cross Immaculata Church, the fanatically de- surround- scenic the hike to preferred crowd younger the and voted on midnight at began ritual The first. Adams Mount to up steps ing Holy Thursday and continued for The Ancient Penitential Drama Penitential Ancient The pastThe pasttheHighlandTowers; ight CelestialStreet; on mount adams cloth that had touched a cloth that had touched a beatified per- beatified a touched had that cloth a touched had that cloth Mary, or saints favored at the time. Third-class relics, weeof scraps hued or pastel colored holy cards depicting Christ, the Holy Ghost, the five bloody wounds. kiss devoutly and crouch to expected was mourner the where rail, ing incense, a smaller crucifix reposed on a pillow at the communion hind apleafor forgiveness or hope. burn- Centered afog of within tiers—towhite-hot the leaveamongcouldfound be fresh wick be- a candle—if votive a light could one donation, small a Forhour. half- the on read were nonstop,masses nearly and distributed was Holy acolytes.Communionand salvationof priest The the enceof pres- the announced clacker wooden harsh a bells, of place the in from the sinner’s imploring glance. The church organ was silent,saints the and and Mary of statues the hid shrouds Purple damnation. and death of signs solemn by sin unrepentant consequencesthe of of reminded was she or he aisle, center the down der.Proceeding or- in was font water holy marble the from blessing finger-dipped a vestibule, the Entering departed. souls the for prayers few a say crucifix large the of base the at bench a ontop, the kneeling t church,the to expected was penitent of the outside the toattached D A ownstairs in the church basement a few pennies richly bought 

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walk no. 1 no. walk mount adams 

• of the most dreadful

miserere miserere cents you could get a cup of coffee ofcoffee cup a get could you cents 15 the good friday pilgrimage his was Good Friday in Cincinnati, the commemoration of the of commemoration the Cincinnati, in Friday Good was his eaving Holy Cross Immaculata Church, the penitent continued continued penitent the Church, Immaculata Cross Holy eaving T L torture torture and crucifixion of Jesus. From the murmur the throughout morning Latin Mass, of the early hours between noon and three o’clock—marking the time Jesus hung on the cross—and until the Holy Saturday the wake, doleful liturgy was observed by the faithful at Church as elaborately and Holy sincerely as it was observed Cross at the Vati- Immaculata can in Rome. English-speaking, the (where Church and Monastery Cross Holy to mostly Irish settlers As worshipped). one descended into the cata- skele- partial the containing coffer copper a church, the under comb ton of a martyr imported from the crutches genuinethe Lourdes, ofcatacombs Lady Our of grotto ofthe At Rome respect. paid was religious for place appropriate an provided exhibition on braces and Cross, True ecstasy the of or for piece fainting a was dead also away from Here sheer exhaustionyear. or every heat- did some as stroke, acquired by Father Guido the Metassi, monastery’s first abbot, for gratefully named. were Streetand Steps whom Guido sonage, could be purchased or gazed at in awe. Medals, chains, and chains, Medals, or gazed at in beawe. purchased could sonage, rosaries made of gold, crystal, silver, semiprecious stones, colored glass beads, wood, pressed rose petals, and knotted cord were dis- For boxes. gift white in played and a breakfast roll, a welcome relief to the morning’s fasting. relief the morning’s to a welcome roll, and a breakfast