CINCINNATI — Ever wondered what kind of furniture the Great Gatsby had in his house?
If so, there’s a place in Price Hill you need to visit.
Furniture from his estate still survives and is on display at the Price Hill Historical Society & Museum (PHHSM).
According to long-standing local tradition, George Remus, Cincinnati’s bootlegging king, was the basis for F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic literary creation. Remus kept a mansion on Hermosa Avenue between West Eighth Street and St. Lawrence Avenue, the PHHSM said. The Remus home was a spot known for lavish parties awash with illegal alcohol throughout the Roaring 20s. Guests at his parties might be gifted cars or jewelry as party favors.
If gangsters aren’t your thing, maybe you’d like to take a closer look at a booth and menu from the first Skyline Chili resturant that opened in Price Hill in 1949.
Gold Star fans might opt out of this and decide instead to explore a faithfully recreated 1950s doctor’s office, read about Cincinnati’s baseball history or browse a wall of vintage wedding dresses. Room after room in this two-story museum is filled with artifacts and memorabilia documenting the history of Price Hill and its' residents.
Since 2000, the old Provident Savings Bank and Trust Company on Warsaw Avenue has served as the home for many collections of the PHHSM. This c.1913 building is a fitting repository for the history of one of Cincinnati’s most storied neighborhoods.
In 1791, William Terry built his log cabin on Bold Face Hill, named after a Native American leader, and the original name of Price Hill, according the PHHSM website. In the 19th century the name changed to Price’s Hill, later to just Price Hill, in honor of local businessman General Rees E. Price.
The neighborhood continued to grow and thrive. According to the City of Cincinnati Parks Department, the Price Hill Incline opened in 1874, and ran until 1943. The incline, a model of which is in the museum, climbed over 350 feet and brought thousands of new residents into Price Hill, the PHHSM said.
Another big surge in settlement came after the Eighth Street Viaduct was completed in 1893, which extended the city's rapid transit system into Price Hill, the PHHSM said.
Today, three areas compromise Price Hill: East Price Hill, Lower Price Hill and West Price Hill.
The PHHSM, founded in 1990, says it is “dedicated to preserving the history of Price Hill for future generations."
Valda Moore, one of the founding members and current Acting Coordinator of the PHHSM, recalls their start over three decades ago, "Back in 1990, Larry Schmolt, Price Hill Civic Club president, encouraged members with an interest in researching their homes to start a new club. Inspired by him, 25 people joined together to start a historical society. Deborah Horning, the first coordinator, led with drive, zeal, and passion. Mike Maio, a founding member and real estate attorney. taught members how to maneuver the Recorder's Office to research the history of their homes."
This informal group eventually evolved into the PHHSM. They met wherever they could until they were able to move into the bank building in 2000.
The PHHSM is managed by a Board of Directors, “who all devote their time and talent voluntarily” according to their website. Volunteers staff the museum serving as docents to visitors and members.
Tom Connor, one of the volunteers at the PHHSM, says they currently have roughly 800 members on their rolls, a mix of locals and ex-locals who have moved away but still want to stay connected to their beloved community through the PHHSM's monthly newsletter.
Connor is also the designer and writer behind the newest exhibit hosted at the museum, which opened just last month.
The exhibit showcases the legacy of two German American architects, Joseph and Bernard Steinkamp. Besides the musuem headquarters, American Building, the Mercantile Library, and The Hotel Metropole (now the 21c Hotel), the Steinkamps designed at least 30 of their 300 buildings in Price Hill, Connor said.
Both Connor and Moore said they live in Price Hill homes with Steinkamp connections. Joseph designed an addition to Moore's home where he lived for 30 years. He also designed and lived in Connor's home for a year in 1928.
The brothers worked with Barney Kroger to expand by designing bakeries and several grocery stores. They also designed numerous other private homes, churches, apartment buildings and schools in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and West Virginia, Connor said.
Connor’s research can all be found in his 2021 book, Cincinnati’s Lost Architects: Joseph and Bernard Steinkamp.
Connor and Moore invite anyone interested in learning more about Price Hill to stop in and take a tour. They can't give away cars and jewelry to patrons like Remus did but promise everyone who leaves the museum will come away with new knowledge, and perhaps a new appreciation, of Price Hill.
The PHHSM is open with regular hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. and hold regular meetings the first Wednesday of each month (except January, February, June, and July). Special and group tours are available by appointment.
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