A portion of Downtown Cincinnati’s historic Longworth Hall is now rubble.
Contractors this week began removing a 1960’s addition on the east end of Longworth to make way for a new bridge over the Ohio River.
Take a look at historical photos of the building in the gallery above.
History of Longworth Hall
Longworth Hall, located at 700 W. Pete Rose Way, was built as a freight warehouse for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co. in 1904. Then one of the longest buildings in the country, originally just shy of a quarter mile at 1,277 feet, the facility could accommodate up to 125 rail cars at one time.
In 1961, the building lost about 150 feet – later restored – to the construction of Interstate 71/75.
By the 1980s, the building became home to office tenants and event space, with its parking lot a favorite spot for Cincinnati Bengals tailgate parties.
The state of Ohio bought the building for $25 million in 2023 as part of the bridge project. Once the project is done, the state will complete a renovation – cleaning and restoring all the existing exterior brick and windows – and then sell the structure.
See demolition photos of Longworth Hall
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Partial Longworth Hall demolition is underway. See historical photos
Reporting by Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
