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The Old Public Library Of Cincinnati Before It Was Demolished In 1955

The old public library of Cincinnati was built in 1874 on the site reserved for an opera house. It was one of the country’s most beautiful and large public libraries, with a capacity for holding up to 300,000 books in its collection. With five levels of cast-iron shelving, a fabulous foyer, checkerboard marble floors, and an atrium lit by a skylight ceiling, the place was breathtaking. The building was located in Downtown Cincinnati at 629 Vine St. downtown Cincinnati. Five levels of bookshelves jammed the walls. Shafts of sunlight cut through the windows to provide ample illumination. The library was built at a cost of $383,594.53, around $7 million today.

Why was the Cincinnati Library demolished?

There were several reasons behind the demolition of this magnificent library. The books were stacked beyond the reach due to a lack of space. The ventilation system was failing, water leaks, the paint was peeling, and some walls were cracked. The building was also had safety issues that were too costly to fix. Eventually, these conditions would make the place unbearable. The management decided to move the library to another place.

In January 1955 a new contemporary library was opened at 800 Vine Street. The old building was sold to Leyman Corp. And by June of 1955, the old building was demolished. The site is now a parking garage. The three heads that once guarded the main entrance of the library were the only original features of the building that were saved and placed in the new library’s garden.

These historical photographs give us a glimpse of the Public Library of Cincinnati before it was demolished in 1955.

#1 One of the large cast-iron book alcoves that lined the Main Hall.

One of the large cast-iron book alcoves that lined the Main Hall.

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The Old Public Library Of Cincinnati Before It Was Demolished In 1955

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#2 Children inside the Old Main.

Children inside the Old Main.

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#3 Looking down at the reading area in the Main Hall.

Looking down at the reading area in the Main Hall.

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The Old Public Library Of Cincinnati Before It Was Demolished In 1955

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#4 Another view of the hall.

Another view of the hall.

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The Old Public Library Of Cincinnati Before It Was Demolished In 1955

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#5 This photo of the Main Hall was taken about a year before the building was closed.

This photo of the Main Hall was taken about a year before the building was closed.

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The Old Public Library Of Cincinnati Before It Was Demolished In 1955

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#6 Completed in 1874, originally intended to be an opera house before the project went bankrupt, the modestly-sized building did not do justice to to the magnitude and beauty of the interior designed by architect J.W. McLaughlin.

Completed in 1874, originally intended to be an opera house before the project went bankrupt, the modestly-sized building did not do justice to to the magnitude and beauty of the interior designed by architect J.W. McLaughlin.

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The Old Public Library Of Cincinnati Before It Was Demolished In 1955

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#7 The beautiful main hall.

The beautiful main hall.

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The Old Public Library Of Cincinnati Before It Was Demolished In 1955

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#8 Young readers.

Young readers.

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The Old Public Library Of Cincinnati Before It Was Demolished In 1955

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#9 The Old Main in an early picture.

The Old Main in an early picture.

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The Old Public Library Of Cincinnati Before It Was Demolished In 1955

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#10 The Newspaper Room (photo circa 1899).

The Newspaper Room (photo circa 1899).

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The Old Public Library Of Cincinnati Before It Was Demolished In 1955

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#11 People reading books.

People reading books.

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The Old Public Library Of Cincinnati Before It Was Demolished In 1955

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#12 Over the years the library wasn’t able to accommodate all the readers.

Over the years the library wasn’t able to accommodate all the readers.

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The Old Public Library Of Cincinnati Before It Was Demolished In 1955

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#13 The library’s main entrance.

The library’s main entrance.

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The Old Public Library Of Cincinnati Before It Was Demolished In 1955

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#14 The welcoming booth.

The welcoming booth.

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The Old Public Library Of Cincinnati Before It Was Demolished In 1955

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#15 Readers.

Readers.

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The Old Public Library Of Cincinnati Before It Was Demolished In 1955

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#16 The Main Hall featured five tiers of cast-iron alcoves that housed over 200,000 books.

The Main Hall featured five tiers of cast-iron alcoves that housed over 200,000 books.

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The Old Public Library Of Cincinnati Before It Was Demolished In 1955

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#17 Young readers.

Young readers.

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The Old Public Library Of Cincinnati Before It Was Demolished In 1955

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#18 A glimpse of the Main Hall can be seen through vestibule.

A glimpse of the Main Hall can be seen through vestibule.

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Written by Jacob Aberto

Sincere, friendly, curious, ambitious, enthusiast. I'm a content crafter and social media expert. I love Classic Movies because their dialogue, scenery and stories are awesome.

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57 Comments

    • The building was falling apart and couldn’t be used effectively for its intended purpose. In many cases, old buildings are not suitable for modern use and are expensive to maintain and update. Who’s going to foot the bill? Our country has an awful lot of aging, pretty buildings, and the older it grows, the more there will be. Although I understand that we want to preserve some links to our past, if we keep every crumbling old building with some architectural flourish, our cities will quickly become crowded with dilapidated ruins. Buildings cannot be moved or digitized the way books can, and real estate is a finite resource. Structures need to be able to be torn down and replaced in cities. Keeping, preserving, and repurposing a (very) few is possible. We may only be able to preserve the rest in the form of pictures, maps/plans, and records written by humans.

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