St. Martin’s German Evangelical Church

St. Martin’s German Evangelical Church, constructed in 1892 along River Road in the Sedamsville neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio,1 was razed in 2008.

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St. Martin’s German Evangelical Church, constructed in 1892 along River Road in the Sedamsville neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio,¹ was razed in 2008.

In 2007, the Sedamsville Civic Association hired a consultant to nominate the area to the National Register of Historic Places, which included the church.¹ A previous attempt in 1993 failed.² The district, if approved, would become the city of Cincinnati’s 29th National Register-listed historic district. With the designation, property owners would be eligible for historic preservation tax credits, and it would prohibit the use of federal monies in demolishing buildings within the district.³

The association asked the city to establish a demolition moratorium pending district approval after Collins Riverside Development proposed a $50 million, 11-story residential tower on the site in early 2008.

On August 1, the Ohio Historic State Preservation Advisory Board voted 8-1 to send the nomination on to the National Park Service. ¹ But just two weeks later, on August 12, Arlon Brown of Collins applied for a demolition permit for the church. The city of Cincinnati had not yet approved the permit for the church, although nearby properties had already been demolished. The permit was later granted.³

Demolition commenced on the historic church on October 1. ³ The building’s wrecking came nine days before the National Register of Historic Places included a four-block stretch of River Road, including the church property.

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Sources

1. Warminski, Margo. “Condo Project Means Loss of 15 Cincinnati Buildings.” Preservation Magazine 2 Sept. 2008. 9 Sept. 2008 Article.
2. Sturmon, Sarah. “Sedamsville seeks status as national historic district.” Cincinnati Post 12 Aug. 1993. Final (West Zone): 1.
3. Monk, Dan. “Church gone, but area finally ruled historic.” Cincinnati Business Courier 7 Nov. 2008. 9 Nov. 2008 Article.