Ohio Valley Railroads

The other day I was down in Cincinnati and decided to stop and checkout Longworth Hall. Longworth Hall, constructed on the property of Nicholas Longworth, was built on the same site as a previous freight house. The B&O built the current structure and it was completed in 1904 (although the west end opened in 1903). The east end of the building could not be completed until 1904 because the old freight house was still operational. Similar in style to Camden Yards in Baltimore, the freight house was one of the largest structures in the country when finally completed.

Even today the building is one of the longest around (1,277 feet). Over 4,250,000 bricks were used in the construction of its five stories that are divided into six major sections. Longworth Hall was designed primarily as a freight house, where long cuts of box cars could be unloaded and transfered to local carts and trucks. The upper floors were used as warehouse spaces. The inbound tracks had a combined capacity of 65 cars while the facility as a whole could handle 125 cars.

The majority of the yard tracks for the complex were located north of the freight house. A number were embedded in cobblestones to facilitate easy loading and unloading. A small six-stall roundhouse was also nearby, a small portion of which still remains today. Other buildings included a 1,200 foot long outbound freight shed (likely located south of 3rd street), boiler house, and a coaling tipple.

With the decline of local freight service the building eventually fell into disrepair. In 1985, Roy B. Schweitzer purchased Longworth Hall from CSX for 1.5 million dollars. He quickly began the long process renovating one section at a time. $16 million later Longworth Hall is a hip and modern design and office space, known for its open offices and creative clientèle.

In 1989, the National Register of Historic Places added Longworth Hall to their list. This does not guarantee protection of the property, and the Hall is in danger of partial or full demolition during the future Brent Spence Bridge Replacement Project.

Today, Longworth Hall is known for its offices and its parking lot. Bengal fans find Longworth as one of the best locations for pregame tailgating. For railfans, it’s not a bad spot to watch trains crawl the long viaduct over to the C&O Bridge. The abandoned edge of the CIND ditch track runs along the north end of the lot. The route of the old Cincinnati Connecting Belt ran just south of the building near Mehring Way.

The interior of Longworth Hall has been extensively remodeled, but if you would like to view the building in person I have been informed that a new restaurant, the Maykmia Sandwich, will be opening in the upcoming weeks. Be sure to check it out.

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References

• Eckberg, John. “Longworth Hall turns 100, still pays its way.” Cincinnati Enquirer. 21 November 2003. Accessed 12 July 2010.
• Finfrock, Dan. “About.” Longworth Hall – Office Complex and Design Center. Accessed 11 July 2010.

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