27 May 2008

Cincinnati History Moment: Carew Tower

From Yesterday's Cincinnati:

Businesses start in interesting ways. It's been said that Joseph Thomas Carew and Christopher R. Mabley were passing through Cincinnati on a business trip to Memphis in 1877. Having missed their connection here, they walked around town and reached Fountain Square, saw a "For Rent" sign, and decided that 66 Fifth Street was a fine place for a store.

Carew was the first in Cincinnati to adopt full-page newspaper ads, to give elaborate Christmas performances, and to set up the Arbor Day custom. The old Mabley and Carew Building was once illuminated by 10,000 lights that glimmered opposite Fountain Square.

3 comments:

Lewis said...

The Carew Tower has a special place in my heart. I proposed to wife at the top of it, and we celebrate our anniversary there most every year (dinner that The Orchids and an overnight stay in one of their suites). It is an amazing building with a lot of history, but I didn't know this story. Thanks for sharing.

WestEnder said...

Hey, nice story!

I used to go up to the top a couple times every year but I haven't done it in a while.

They should put a wind turbine up there since it's always so windy.

CityKin said...

Do you remember the Mably and Carew building in it's last incarnation? It was a blue box just west of Fountain Square. I think it was last an Elder Beerman. I remember when they were tearing it down, that only then could you see the cool masonry building underneath with the arched windows.