12/04/2025
THROWBACK THURSDAY 🗓️🏠📸
“This is an 1898 photo of another lost piece of Cincinnati history, the estate of Thomas J. Emery, which straddled the border of Walnut Hills and East Walnut Hills, and overlooked the Ohio River. The home was built in 1882 and called Edgecliff, a name that is still carried on by the highrise condominium that now stands on this location. Thomas died while in Cairo, Egypt in 1906, leaving the home and his $20 million estate to his wife Mary. In 1935, the home became part of Our Lady of Cincinnati, later known as Edgecliff College. Despite having been added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, this 31 room Samuel Hannaford-designed house was razed in 1987 to make way for new development.
Something interesting about this photo is that it shows the house prior to modifications that were made to front porch. Photos from the early 1920s reveal that the porch was redesigned to have two sets of stairs, one at either end, and a changed roofline. It was also screened in.
The Emery name is of course well-known in Cincinnati, with a legacy that is now over 180 years old. Thomas' father founded the family business in 1840 making candles and oils from the byproducts of Cincinnati's porkpacking industry, but Thomas and his brother John focused most of their efforts on real estate. Thomas Emery & Sons was responsible for many local landmarks, most notably the Carew Tower.”
Picture and post credit to Terry Gerrard of “Old Photos Of Cincinnati” Facebook group
