Elsinore Arch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Elsinore Arch
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| Location | 1700 Gilbert Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio |
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| Architect | Charles Hannaford |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian and Other |
| MPS | Samuel Hannaford and Sons TR in Hamilton County |
| NRHP reference No. | 80003052 |
| Added to NRHP | March 3, 1980 |
The Elsinore Arch (also known as Elsinore Tower) is a cool old building in Cincinnati, Ohio. It's a historic landmark, officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 3, 1980. This unique arch was built in 1883 for the Cincinnati Water Works. Its design is said to be inspired by the famous Elsinore Castle from William Shakespeare's play, Hamlet.
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What is the Elsinore Arch?
The Elsinore Arch stands at Gilbert Avenue and Elsinore Place. It was built in 1883. Its main job was to be a "valve house" for the Cincinnati Water Works. This valve house helped control the flow of water from a large main tunnel. This important water tunnel started at the reservoir in Eden Park. The Water Works wanted the valve house to look special. They also wanted it to serve as a new entrance to the park.
How the Arch Got Its Unique Look
In 1883, Cincinnati hosted a big Shakespearean Dramatic Festival. A highlight was a performance of "Hamlet" on May 4. The famous actor James Edward Murdoch played Hamlet. Even at 72, he was very popular in Cincinnati because it was his hometown.
Many people were amazed by the stage sets for the play. The opening scene featured a huge painting of Elsinore Castle. This was the castle where Hamlet, the moody prince, walked at night. A local artist named Merry painted this impressive set.
Inspired by a Play
A.G. Moore, the Water Works Superintendent, was in the audience that night. He was so impressed by the painting of Elsinore Castle. The very next Monday, he visited the offices of Samuel Hannaford and Sons. This was a famous local architecture firm. They had designed many important buildings like Music Hall and the Cincinnati City Hall.
Mr. Moore brought a newspaper picture of the Elsinore stage set. Because of this, Charles B. Hannaford, Samuel's son, was asked to design the valve house. He designed it to look like Elsinore Castle. The Elsinore Tower was built later that year. It cost about $15,000.
Design and Purpose
The finished Elsinore Arch looks like a mini-castle. It has a round tower connected to a smaller square tower. A cool archway with battlements joins them. This style is called Norman Romanesque Revival.
After the Cincinnati Art Museum opened in 1886, steps were added behind the Elsinore Tower. These steps were meant to be a shortcut to the museum in Eden Park. However, the steps were too steep. They never became very popular. As more people started using cars, the Elsinore Tower lost its importance as a park entrance.
As of 1988, the reservoir valves were kept in a vault under the tower. The Cincinnati Water Works also used the Elsinore Tower for storing equipment. The nearby WCPO-TV building was built using similar stonework to the arch. This building site was once home to Cincinnati's Natural History Museum.
Images for kids
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Elsinore Arch during remodeling work on 8 March 2004
