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Gwynne Building
United States historic place From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Gwynne Building is a registered historic building in Cincinnati, Ohio, listed in the National Register on August 3, 1979.[1]
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History
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The almost 125,000-square-foot thirteen-story Gwynne Building was completed in 1913.[2] The building was designed by Ernest Flagg, who also designed the Singer Building in New York and the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.[3]
The structure was commissioned by Flagg's cousin, Alice Gwynne Vanderbilt, who was the wife of Cornelius Vanderbilt II.[4] Alice and Ernest were first cousins as Alice's mother,[5] Rachel Moore Flagg, was the sister of Flagg's father, Jared Bradley Flagg.[6][7] Alice named the Gwynne Building in honor of her father, Abraham Evan Gwynne, a prominent Cincinnati lawyer and Judge.[5][8][9] Her paternal grandfather, Major David Gwynne, was a real estate broker in Cincinnati,[10] whose family was among the early settlers of Cincinnati,[11] and Alice was said to be a distant relative of the Longworth family.[5] She inherited the property at 6th and Main St. and her brother took the corner of 4th and Main St.[9]
The tallest section, the tower, is 14 stories. The Beaux-Arts style building is made of steel and concrete the exterior is rendered in Indiana limestone,[11] brick and granite.[8] Originally the building was considered fireproof as there was "no wood of any description being used,"[11] and the floors were finished in polished concrete with the hall floors containing mosaics.[11] The corners of the building are adorned with ox heads.[10]
In addition to the 1913 building, the east building was built in 1916, and the north building was built in 1939.[8]
Tenants
From 1935 until 1956, the office building housed the headquarters of Procter & Gamble (P&G).[12][13] The P&G World Headquarters are now located in twin towers a few blocks to the east.[8]
In 1992, the building was purchased by a group of tenants and investors from EQ Office, which was owned by Chicago billionaire real estate investor Sam Zell, founder and chairman of Equity International.[14] The purchase was followed by an about $1,000,000 in renovations.[14]
In July 2014, the building, which was then 88% occupied, was offered for sale.[8] The tenants included Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, Sound Images (later renamed Gwynne Sound),[15] the Charles H. Dater Foundation and the Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky Film Commission.[8] It was purchased by an investment group led by Patrick Gates.[16]
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References
External links
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