See Cincinnati’s Unsung Masterpieces with the Man Behind Hood Century
I’m from Cincinnati, which has always been one of those cities to which people reply, “Nope, never been.” Those who have been never fail to mention the chili, which is something we’re best known for. But the city has much more to offer beyond the meat and beans. It is also considered the final stop on the Underground Railroad and has inspired countless works of literature, such as Toni Morrison’s iconic novel Beloved. It’s where the late Pritzker Prize–winning architect Zaha Hadid designed her first building in America and where the legendary African American poet Nikki Giovanni grew up. Rarely are these things mentioned. But the day I found out that the suspension bridge designed by John A. Roebling, which connects Cincinnati with Covington, Kentucky, was actually the prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge, I was so gassed! When it opened in 1866, there was no bridge on earth that was longer. How crazy is that? It’s what inspired me to seek out more of these rare, mythical gems in my hometown.
UNION TERMINAL
There isn’t a building more important in Cincinnati than Union Terminal (above and below). It’s known nationwide as one of the best examples of American Art Deco.
WEST END LIBRARY
I grew up going here in the summer, starting in the first grade. In retrospect, it may have been one of the first midcentury-modern buildings I’d seen or interacted with in my life. I think that explains my obsession with zigzag roofs.
2240 HARRISON AVENUE
My favorite apartment building in Cincinnati. Those curves and squiggles let us know it’s definitely an example of Streamline Moderne.
LAUREL HOMES
Dating to 1933, this is one of the first three housing projects built in America. Whoever got Laurel Homes approved for historic preservation, I thank you! But why only three buildings? The rest were razed in the early 2000s and replaced by condos. Were they not also historic?
CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER
Zaha Hadid’s first building in America, completed in 2003. Mic drop!
1800 FREEMAN AVENUE
Cincinnati is home to many Italianate duplexes, including this one that my brother and I bought in 2019. It was built in the mid-1800s in the West End of Cincy, a historically Black neighborhood, and where my family has been since they arrived here in the early 1930s.
JOHN A. ROEBLING SUSPENSION BRIDGE
This is the Brooklyn Bridge prototype. It was built during the Civil War and was the world’s longest suspension bridge when it was completed in 1866. Its younger cousin spanning New York City’s East River took the title away in 1883.
MY MOTHER
This has to be my favorite picture of my mother. Behind her is the building we bought on Freeman Avenue with a double-exposed image of Union Terminal in its Art Deco glory.
Jerald Cooper is the founder of Hood Century, an editorial brand focusing on the history of midcentury modernism in BIPOC neighborhoods across the country.
Additional editorial support for Hood Century provided by Nicole Nimri
This story originally appeared in the November 2020 issue of ELLE Decor. SUBSCRIBE
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