The Northern Liberties and Over-the-Rhine

Until 1849, today's Liberty Street, then called Northern Row, was the corporation line forming Cincinnati's northern boundary. The area north of Northern Row was not subject to municipal law and was, appropriately, called The Northern Liberties. During the first half of the 19th century, the Northern Liberties attracted a concentration of bootleggers, entrepreneurs, saloons, gambling houses, dance halls, brothels, and other institutions not tolerated in the city of Cincinnati. Among those was the city's first Roman Catholic Church, St. Peter's Church of the Dominican Society, erected in 1818 on the northwest corner of Liberty and Vine streets. Unregulated freedom beyond Liberty Street ended in 1849 when The Northern Liberties became the first suburb annexed to the growing Queen City.

The Northern Liberties roughly correspond geographically with the Over-the-Rhine (North) Local Historic District established in August 2001. The Historic District Designation Report documents expansion of the ethnic German immigrant community in Over-the-Rhine into the Northern Liberties during a wave of German immigration between 1830 and 1840. Developers subdivided the land, laid out streets, and began to build houses and businesses. German churches, cultural institutions, and newspapers were founded, including the nation's only German language daily newspaper. German entrepreneurs developed an extensive brewing industry in the area consisting of 36 individual breweries by 1860. German immigration to Over-the-Rhine continued through the last half of the 19th century. Most of the 950 structures in the Over-the-Rhine North district were erected between 1860 and 1900. According to the Historic District Designation Report, "Over-the-Rhine's collection of commercial, residential, religious and civic architecture is one of America's largest and most cohesive surviving examples of an urban, nineteenth century community."

The percentage of German and German-American residents in Over-the-Rhine peaked in the early 20th century at an estimated 75% of the neighborhood's population of 44,475. Population patterns in Over-the-Rhine during the 20th century reflected trends throughout the nation. The ethnic German community began to disperse into the city's growing suburbs, particularly with the rise of anti-German sentiment during the First World War. During the Great Depression and Second World War, waves of rural Appalachians migrated to Over-the-Rhine where they found abundant low cost rental housing and jobs in nearby industry. During the decade of the 1960's, the population of Over-the-Rhine declined by more than half, to 15,025, but the number of African-American residents doubled as a result of displacement from the nearby West End due to Interstate highway construction and urban renewal. The population of Over-the-Rhine has continued to decline and is now roughly 70% African-American.

In 1977, the area of Over-the-Rhine around Findlay Market was designated as an Environmental Quality District. Over-the-Rhine became a National Historic District and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. In August 2001, Cincinnati City Council created an Over-the-Rhine (North) Local Historic District comprised of the area north of Liberty Street, east of Central Parkway, and south and west of McMicken and Mulberry streets. Findlay Market was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. In 1977, the area around the market was designated as an Environmental Quality District. Findlay Market is located within the Over-the-Rhine National Historic District, dedicated in 1983, and the Over-the-Rhine (North) Local Historic District, established in 2001.

A Brief History Of Cincinnati's Findlay Market

General James Findlay

Cincinnati's Public Markets

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Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine

Nineteenth century urban architecture

Cincinnati Freie Press