Police Station No. 5 (Cincinnati, Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Police Station No. 5
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Site of the police station
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1024-1026 York St., Cincinnati, Ohio |
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| Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1896 |
| Architect | Samuel Hannaford and Sons |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| Part of | Dayton Street Historic District (ID73001457) |
| MPS | Samuel Hannaford and Sons TR in Hamilton County |
| NRHP reference No. | 80003075 |
| Added to NRHP | March 3, 1980 |
Police Station Five was an old police station in the West End area of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It was built in the 1890s to help both regular police and a special horse-mounted patrol team. Even though it was named a historic site later on, the building was sadly torn down.
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History of Police Station Five
Cincinnati was one of the first cities in the United States to have a horse-mounted patrol service. This special team provided emergency services, much like today's police. They started at the end of 1881, riding in horse-drawn carts.
These carts carried important tools like medical equipment and stretchers. Besides helping the regular police, patrol officers also watched for fires. Horse patrols were very useful in parts of the city where there weren't many people.
Their help was very important during big emergencies. For example, in 1884, patrol officers saved people from dangerous floods in the Ohio River. They also worked to keep order during the courthouse riots. Later, in the 1910s and 1920s, patrol cars and motorcycles replaced the horse-powered patrols.
Samuel Hannaford's Buildings
The architect who designed Police Station Five was Samuel Hannaford. He started as an immigrant doing small jobs for other architects. Over time, he became very famous for designing grand buildings. One of his most famous works is Music Hall.
By the late 1800s, many buildings in Cincinnati's richer neighborhoods were designed by Hannaford. He retired in 1897, at 62 years old. This was just one year after Police Station Five was built.
Life of Police Station Five
Police Station Five was first used as a base for the horse-mounted patrols. Before this, they were based at the old City Stables. The new station was needed because the Stables were in bad condition. The building also had space for regular police officers.
As time went on, the station changed. It became the main headquarters for the city's fifth police district. The station was used officially until 1957. That year, a new police station opened on Ludlow Avenue.
Even after it closed, the city still owned the building. In 1980, a construction company bought it from the city. City officials hoped the building would be saved and improved. However, the new owners sold it in 1984 to another company. This company tore down the building and built a parking lot in its place.
Design of Police Station Five
Police Station Five was built using brick with parts made of sandstone. It had a strong stone foundation. The building's style was mostly Romanesque Revival, which looks like old Roman buildings. It also had some parts of the Queen Anne style.
Features like brick corbeling (bricks sticking out) and smooth ashlar stonework added to its look. These stones were laid in belt courses, which are horizontal bands. All these details made the building look balanced and even on both sides.
Similar Police Stations
Even though Police Station Five had a different style, it looked a lot like Police Stations Two and Three. Those stations were in the city center and on the west side. All three stations were built with similar shapes and had two story structures that were symmetrical. They also had flat roofs.
The similar designs were partly because of practical needs. When they were built, all three stations housed both police and patrol teams. Police Station Five's shape was also affected by its location. It was in a neighborhood with many rowhouses on long, narrow lots. The horse-mounted patrol could only get to their part of the building through side and back doors that faced alleyways.
A Historic Site
In 1973, a large area of land in Cincinnati's West End became the Dayton Street Historic District. This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It included about four hundred important buildings, and Police Station Five was one of them.
The station was added to the National Register by itself in 1980. This was part of a larger group of buildings designed by Samuel Hannaford. One year later, it was included in another group of Cincinnati patrol stations. Even though there has been no police station at 1024-1026 York Street since the 1980s, the property is still listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
