Spencer Township Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Spencer Town Hall
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Front and western side
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 3833 Eastern Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio |
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| Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1860 |
| MPS | Columbia-Tusculum MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002701 |
| Added to NRHP | August 24, 1979 |
The Spencer Township Hall is an old and important building in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It's located in the Columbia-Tusculum neighborhood. Built a long time ago, it's one of the oldest public buildings still standing in Cincinnati. People consider it a historic site because of its special design.
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What Does Spencer Town Hall Look Like?
The Spencer Township Hall was built in 1860. It is a two-story building made of brick. It has a strong stone base, called a foundation, and a roof covered with shingles.
Building Style and Details
The building has many small features that give it a Greek Revival look. This style was popular in the 1800s and was inspired by ancient Greek temples. You can see this in its flat, column-like parts called pilasters. Also, the tops of its columns, known as capitals, and its simple window frames show this style.
The roof hangs over the edges, supported by decorative pieces called brackets. This gives the building a touch of Italianate style, which was also popular back then. Above the main door, there are two special stones. One stone remembers a local club called the IOOF. The other stone shows that this building was the township hall.
Building Size and Changes
When it was first built, the hall was three sections wide and six sections long. These sections are called bays. Later, a new part was added to the front of the building. This addition changed its original look.
What Was Spencer Town Hall Used For?
Besides being the main office for the township, the building was also a meeting place. The IOOF club, mentioned on the datestone, started meeting there just one year after the building was finished.
New Uses for an Old Building
By the late 1970s, the building was no longer used by the government or the IOOF club. Even with the newer addition, people still thought it was a great example of old public architecture. The building was then given a new purpose, a process called adaptive reuse.
An engineering company moved into the building. They decided to remove the front addition. This was part of a community effort to make the neighborhood look better. By the early 2010s, the old hall had become a dance studio.
Becoming a Historic Place
In 1979, the Spencer Township Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes buildings, sites, and objects important to American history. It was recognized for its special architecture.
The hall was one of seventeen properties in the Columbia-Tusculum area added to the National Register at the same time. Most of these were buildings, but two old cemeteries, the Columbia Baptist and Fulton-Presbyterian Cemeteries, were also included.
