Location:
16 E. 4th St.
GPS Coordinates:
39.087471, -84.510825
Website:
Trinity Episcopal Church
Founded in 1842, Trinity Episcopal Church is a vibrant community of worshippers committed to outreach work within Covington and beyond. The current building was constructed between 1857 and 1859 and is an excellent example of Gothic Revival style, showing the influence of medieval designs on Anglican church building during that period. Traditionally oriented with the entrance motifs on the west and the sanctuary on the east, the building is cruciform in shape, but with only the south transept completed. Interior appointments include a brass pulpit, a wood "eagle" lectern, and wood carvings. A Tiffany-designed window lights the transept. Three tranquil gardens, maintained by church members, provide a welcome respite to all visitors. This site is on the Faith Tour and Architecture Tour. Open to the public • Handicapped accessible
Location:
6th St. at Philadelphia St.
GPS Coordinates:
39.08424, -84.520524
Carroll Chimes Bell Tower
One of the best known landmarks in Covington is the Carroll Chimes Bell Tower, locally known as the Pied Piper Tower. Although Mainstrasse has a long history as a German neighborhood, the clock tower is a relatively new feature. In the 1970s, Mainstrasse was designated a National Register Historic District and local businessmen proposed building on the community's heritage to create a tourist attraction reminiscent of small villages in Germany. Many German villages have a glockenspiel, a clock tower with animated figures, in the town park, so it was decided that there should be a glockenspiel in Mainstrasse as well. Named for then governor Julian Carroll, the tower was completed in 1979, adding to the Old World charm of the neighborhood. This site is on the Architecture Tour. Open to the public
Location:
E. 5th St. at Madison Ave.
GPS Coordinates:
39.086089, -84.510546
Website:
Odd Fellows Hall
One of the most historic buildings in Covington, the Odd Fellows Hall was constructed in 1856 by an Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge and became the hub of Covington's civic and political life. During the Civil War it served as a holding center and military court for Confederate soldiers. In the 1950s, the second floor ballroom was converted into a popular rolling skate rink. In 2002, while it was being restored, a fire destroyed all but the front facade and the north and east walls. Reconstructing the building after the fire was a challenge, but it has now been fully restored and houses a high-tech software and consulting services company, an architecture firm, a real estate agency, and a reception hall known as the Grand. This site is on the Architecture Tour and Historic Tour. Open to the public
Location:
502 Scott Blvd.
GPS Coordinates:
39.085982, -84.50892
Matt Langford's Lincoln Statue
Matt Langford was born in Covington and now lives in Union, Kentucky. He has created two bronze statues that grace the streets of Covington. Created in 2004 for the Art of Discovery program, his Abraham Lincoln statue stands in front of the Kenton County Library. Depicting a young Lincoln, at its base the bronze statue bears a quote that reads: "I shall prepare myself. Someday my chance will come." The statue of Frank Duveneck, commissioned by philanthropists Oakley and Eva Farris, stands in the Covington Arts District in a small triangular-shaped garden between Seventh, Washington and Pike Streets. It shows Duveneck, one of Covington's most celebrated artists, holding a portrait of his wife, Elizabeth. This site is on the Arts and Culture Tour and Historic Tour. Open to the public
Location:
Corner of 7th St., Washington St. & Pike St.
GPS Coordinates:
39.083199,-84.511689
Matt Langford's Duveneck Statue
Matt Langford was born in Covington and now lives in Union, Kentucky. He has created two bronze statues that grace the streets of Covington. Created in 2004 for the Art of Discovery program, his Abraham Lincoln statue stands in front of the Kenton County Library. Depicting a young Lincoln, at its base the bronze statue bears a quote that reads: "I shall prepare myself. Someday my chance will come." The statue of Frank Duveneck, commissioned by philanthropists Oakley and Eva Farris, stands in the Covington Arts District in a small triangular-shaped garden between Seventh, Washington and Pike Streets. It shows Duveneck, one of Covington's most celebrated artists, holding a portrait of his wife, Elizabeth. This site is on the Arts and Culture Tour and Historic Tour. Open to the public
Location:
620 Greenup St.
GPS Coordinates:
39.08483, -84.506941
Website:
Baker Hunt Art & Cultural Center
The grounds and main building of the Baker Hunt Art and Cultural Center were donated by former owner, Margaretta Baker-Hunt, when she endowed the Baker Hunt Foundation in 1922 to provide classes in art, religion and psychic research for the citizens of Covington. In addition to three ten-week sessions of art classes, Baker Hunt hosts a small family museum, history lectures, classes in psychic research, and art workshops. The campus is a wonderful combination of stunning Italianate architecture and lush gardens. Visitors are invited to walk around the grounds, learn about Baker-Hunt, and enjoy this marvelous greenspace in the middle of Covington. This site is on the Arts and Culture Tour, Historic Tour, Architecture Tour and Unexpected Covington Tour. Open to the public
Location:
613 Madison Ave.
GPS Coordinates:
39.08429, -84.510567
Website:
Motch Jewelers
Michael C. Motch, an immigrant from France, opened his first jewelry store in Covington in 1857, but it is the 1871 building, designed by James W. McLaughlin, that remains an architectural gem. The front of the store has two immense glass windows surrounded by silver plated frames. The floor is alternative blocks of white and black marble. Two marble top counters run the entire length of the room, on which rest silver mounted show cases, containing watches and jewelry of exquisite workmanship and a dazzling display of rare gems. As you drive by the store you will notice on the sidewalk the E. Howard and Co. cast iron clock. This site is on the Historic Tour. Open to the public • Hours: Tues-Thurs 10-5, Sat 10-3
Location:
25 W. 7th St.
GPS Coordinates:
39.083074, -84.510975
Website:
Artisans' Enterprise Center
The hub of the Covington Arts District, the Artisans' Enterprise Center, is housed in what was, until recently, an empty commercial building. The Artisans' Enterprise Center symbolizes the efforts of Renaissance Covington. It officially debuted in 2008, after a $2 million renovation sponsored by the Kinzelman Kline Gossman architectural firm in partnership with the City of Covington. The AEC won the River Cities Preservation Award in 2008 for Best Adaptive Re-Use. The AEC offers workshop space to local artists and also has galleries open to the public for the artists to display their work. The AEC supports Covington's monthly First Friday Gallery Hop, a lively tour of Covington's arts galleries for which the AEC is the jumping-off point. This site is on the Arts and Culture Tour. Open to the public
Location:
824 Greenup St.
GPS Coordinates:
39.082075, -84.50619
Lincoln Grant School
In the 1870s William Grant, promised Covington's African American community a school in return for their support of John Stevenson for governor. In 1880, Grant deeded land to the Covington Board of Education for Grant High School and Lincoln Elementary. In 1930, the new Lincoln Grant School combined both schools. Through the 1960s, the school provided quality education. Members of the faculty held advanced degrees from national universities. Parents from as far away as Indiana sent their children to attend Lincoln Grant. In the 1960s and 70s, integration spelled the end of Lincoln Grant as a school. Now called the Northern Kentucky Community Center, the Lincoln Grant School played a pivotal role in the history of Covington. This site is on the Historic Tour. Not open to the public
Location:
1028 Scott Blvd.
GPS Coordinates:
39.080021, -84.507356
Website:
Carnegie Visual & Performing Arts Center
Like 1,700 other communities in the United States, Covington benefited from a grant from Andrew Carnegie, the legendary industrialist and philanthropist who gave away much of his fortune to fund public libraries. In 1904 the City of Covington constructed the magnificent Carnegie Library and Auditorium, an example of Beaux Arts architecture with a rotunda modeled after the Library of Congress. For decades Carnegie Library and Auditorium was the center of the cultural scene, with numerous play productions, speakers, and community activities. Today the building has been reborn as the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center and hosts a variety of exhibits, performances, classes and community projects. This site is on the Arts and Culture Tour and Architecture Tour. Open to the public • Gallery Hours: Mon-Fri 10-5, Sat 12-3, Box Office Hours: Tues-Fri 12-5
Location:
W. Robbins St. at Banklick St.
GPS Coordinates:
39.079293, -84.512971
Henry Farny Art Park
Henry Farny, who is best known for his realistic paintings of Native American Indian culture, had a home and studio in the Westside of Covington from 1890-1907. He often traveled out west, where he spent time with the Sioux. Occasionally his friend, Ogallala Fire, lived with him in Covington. The Sioux named Farny "Long Boots," which was symbolized by a circle with a dot in the center. Farny was very proud of the name and always signed all his paintings with the symbol as well as his signature. When the city designated the Westside as the Artist Residential District, members of the Westside Action Coalition joined with the Old Seminary Square Neighborhood Group to create the Henry Farny Art Park in honor of this former resident. This site is on the Arts and Culture Tour and Unexpected Covington Tour. Open to the public
Location:
438 Pike St.
GPS Coordinates:
39.078677, -84.517176
Anchor Grill
With the motto, "We may doze, but we never close," the Anchor Grill has been a staple of Covington for over 60 years. A cash-only restaurant, the Anchor Grill serves a variety of foods from eggs and toast to bacon cheeseburgers and the local signature dish of Goetta. The Anchor Grill's clientele loves the jukebox, which is equipped with an assortment of toy figures that dance to the music. Many patrons come in at night and walk straight to the jukebox to pick out a song before grabbing a seat and placing their order. The laid-back atmosphere, stick-to-your ribs food, and the dancing jukebox make Anchor Grill a memorable dining experience. This site is on the Unexpected Covington Tour. Open to the public
Location:
533 Goetta Place
GPS Coordinates:
39.077378, -84.51782
Website:
Glier's Goetta
With origins in Hanover, Germany, goetta was created in Cincinnati by German immigrants. Officially made of pork, beef, steel-cut (pinhead) oats, and seasonings, in the old days Goetta often included the leftovers and scraps from other meat processes. Not many years ago, you could not have found Goetta 50 miles away in any direction, but with the success of Glier's Goetta, goetta production and sales have expanded to the Louisville area. Glier's Goetta is the largest goetta producer in the area, with an annual output of over a million pounds. This site is on the Unexpected Covington Tour. Not open to the public
Location:
1140 Madison Ave.
GPS Coordinates:
39.078127, -84.5084
Website:
Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption
St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, often referred to as the Cathedral of Glass, is an architectural marvel and home to an active congregation. Twenty-six gargoyles adorn the Cathedral's high pinnacles and flying buttresses. The tympanum above the entrance was carved from Bedford limestone and depicts the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. Interior features include 82 hand-poured stained glass windows crafted in Germany, including a 24' x 67' window in the North Transept, one of the largest in the world, and two rose windows (each one 26 ft in diameter) above the organ galleries. Each year over 15,000 tourists visit the Cathedral, coming from all 50 states and 42 foreign countries in 2008. This site is on the Faith Tour, Architecture Tour and Arts and Culture Tour. Open to the public • Hours: Mon-Sat 9:30-4
Location:
1232 Greenup St.
GPS Coordinates:
39.077244, -84.504924
Website:
Frank Duveneck Arts and Cultural Center
The Frank Duveneck Arts and Cultural Center honors the career of world-renowned artist, Frank Duveneck. Born the son of German immigrants in 1848, Duveneck served an art apprenticeship with the Benedictine monks before attending an art academy in Germany. He opened an art school in Florence, Italy, but when his wife died, Duveneck returned to Covington. Although he became director of the prestigious Cincinnati Art Academy, he always lived in Covington. Duveneck died in 1919, but his legacy lives on through his art in such places as the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and the Cincinnati Art Museum. Today the Frank Duveneck Center is home to a thriving art, dance, and writing studio, providing positive outlets for young and old. This site is on the Arts & Culture Tour, Historic Tour and Architecture Tour. Open to the public
Location:
1421 Holman Ave.
GPS Coordinates:
39.07388, -84.513121
Linden Grove Cemetery
Linden Grove Cemetery, dedicated in 1843, is the largest green space in the inner city of Covington, and many residents enjoy strolling through the historic cemetery. It is the resting place of Civil War soldiers, Confederate and Union, and the Veterans Monument honors the fallen on both sides of the War Between the States. The Grand Army of the Republic, a group of Union veterans, also erected a monument in the cemetery. Both monuments and the cemetery itself are on the National Register of Historic Places. This site is on the Faith Tour and Historic Tour. Open to the public
Location:
1600 Montague Rd.
GPS Coordinates:
39.080926, -84.538913
Website:
Behringer-Crawford Museum
The mission of the Behringer-Crawford Museum is to preserve the history of Northern Kentucky through the lens of transportation, and it does a magnificent job, from the vintage streetcar on the first level to the airport exhibit on the fourth. In addition to the permanent exhibits, there are changing exhibits and programs for patrons of all ages. Before the Behringer-Crawford Museum became a history of transportation museum, it was a museum of natural curiosities, which are still on exhibit. Visitors love the two-headed calf and the shrunken head! This site is on the Historic Tour, Arts and Culture Tour and Unexpected Covington Tour. Open to the public • Hours: Tues-Sat 10-5, Sun 1-5
Location:
699 Edgecliff St.
GPS Coordinates:
39.068199, -84.5187
Garden of Hope
An outdoor sanctuary featuring a replica of the tomb of Jesus in Jerusalem, Covington's Garden of Hope opened on Palm Sunday in 1958. The Garden's creation had been inspired by a 1938 trip to the Holy Land by the Rev. Morris H. Coers of Immanuel Baptist Church. Solomon Mattar, caretaker of the original tomb in Jerusalem, assisted by providing the exact dimensions of the original tomb and visiting the site in Covington. Mattar also sent over large stones from the River Jordan, where Jesus was baptized, and the Good Samaritan Inn, along with a boulder from the Wailing Wall. Sitting in the front of the garden is a small stone structure modeled after St. Joseph's carpenter shop, where Jesus spent time as a boy. This site is on the Faith Tour. Open to the public
Location:
315 W. Southern Ave.
GPS Coordinates:
39.047771, -84.507027
Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati
Founded in 1975, The Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati preserves the engines, railcars and other artifacts associated with the region's railroading history. Currently encompassing a collection of eighty major pieces, including vintage Pullman cars, engines, baggage carts and signals, the museum is primarily an outdoor experience. A permanent museum is being built in one of the rail cars in which to display the museum's smaller artifact collection, especially those that capture the stories of the people whose lives revolved around the rail industry. The museum is an all-volunteer organization, and welcomes visitors on Wednesdays and Saturdays to take a self-guided walking tour between 10 am and 4 pm. This site is on the Historic Tour. Open to the public • Hours: Wed & Sat 10-4
Location:
Greenup at E. 5th St.
GPS Coordinates:
39.08635, -84.507499
Licking Riverside
Bordering both the Licking and the Ohio Rivers, Licking Riverside is one of the few remaining residential riverside communities in the area. Its history began when Thomas Kennedy purchased 200 acres at the confluence of the Licking and Ohio Rivers and built a house there in 1791. He operated a ferry to Cincinnati. By the 1850s, the area was the most desirable residential neighborhood in Covington. Although the neighborhood experienced an era of neglect and decline, today it has been revitalized and is once again a charming riverside community. Its walking tour encompasses a variety of architectural gems. Highlights of the neighborhood are the Baker Hunt Art and Cultural Center, the Daniel Beard House, the Statue Tour, and the Amos Shinkle Townhouse.
Location:
432-440 Madison Ave.
GPS Coordinates:
39.086385, -84.510707
Historic Downtown
Covington's Downtown Commercial National Register Historic District includes 200 buildings built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The district is significant as the historic financial, commercial, and legal center of the city. Several structures in the Downtown Commercial District are individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places, including the Roebling Bridge, Trinity Episcopal Church, and the Odd Fellows Building. Other sites of interest are the Artisans' Enterprise Center, the Coppin's Building, Motch Jewelers, the Ascent, Madison Theatre, and the mosaic benches. Matt Langford's statue of Abraham Lincoln is in front of the Kenton County Public Library, and his statue of Frank Duveneck is in the Arts District.
Location:
119 W. 6th St.
GPS Coordinates:
39.084207, -84.512367
Mutter Gottes
The centerpiece of the Mutter Gottes district is the Mother of God Church (Mutter Gottes Kirche). The district was settled between 1840 and 1860 by large numbers of German immigrants fleeing the unrest in Germany that eventually led to the revolution of 1848. German immigrants arrived in Covington at the rate of 200 per day by 1840, many building homes in the Mutter Gottes District. By the late 1870s, the present neighborhood was well established, with a concentration of mid-nineteenth century architecture, predominantly Italianate. The district fell into decline in the 1950s, but in the 1970s, a consortium led by Mutter Gottes Church began a concentrated effort that has revitalized the neighborhood.
Location:
Pied Piper Bell Tower
GPS Coordinates:
39.084426, -84.517687
Mainstrasse
Fueled in part by European revolutions of the mid-1800s, many Europeans, particularly Germans, immigrated to Covington. At the time, the primary commercial district was on Main Street near Sixth Street, the area now known as "Mainstrasse." In 1861, the city established a public market in the center of the street with traffic lanes on either side. Then in the 1970s, a group of businessmen proposed developing the neighborhood into a tourist attraction with eclectic shops, eateries, pubs and festivals. Highlights of the neighborhood include Chez Nora, the Carroll Chimes Bell Tower, and the Goose Girl Fountain (featured on its Gateway Mosaic sign). Mainstrasse is best known for its festivals, including Mardi Gras, Maifest, Goettafest, and Oktoberfest.
Location:
GPS Coordinates:
39.081368, -84.528532
Botany Hills, Kenton Hills, Lewisburg
Botany Hills, Kenton Hills, and Lewisburg are hillside neighborhoods in northwestern Covington. Botany Hills was named by Edwin Forrest, who purchased 45 acres along the Ohio River in 1839 and was struck by the rich variety of plant life. The Lewisburg National Register Historic District encompasses a wide variety of architectural styles. The "spaceship house" can be found in Botany Hills. Kenton Hills includes the 500 acre Devou Park, donated to the City of Covington in 1910 by the Devou family. In addition to a golf course, the park has tennis courts, a nature trail, an amphitheater for concerts, and spectacular views of Cincinnati and Covington. The Devou family also donated their home, which is now the Behringer-Crawford Museum.
Location:
GPS Coordinates:
39.074905, -84.51025
Westside & Historical West 15th Street
Historically the West Side was a working class neighborhood housing many trades persons and artisans. The trades practiced are commemorated in the mosaic gateway sign designed by residents. The sign also depicts Victorian era row houses built to accommodate the influx of population to the city - many of which have been attractively rehabilitated. Highlights of the neighborhood include Linden Grove Cemetery, Farny Art Park, Glier's Goetta, and the Anchor Grill. The West Fifteenth Street Historic District, located at the intersection of Fifteenth and Madison, is significant for its architecture, which includes an intact group of seven Italianate row houses. The area developed in the 1880s and 1890s.
Location:
W. Robbins St. at Banklick St.
GPS Coordinates:
39.079293, -84.512971
Old Seminary Square
The Western Baptist Theological Seminary, established in 1840, was a school for young ministers from the North and South with divergent views of slavery. It was the issue of slavery that tore the institution apart only fifteen years after its inception. To fund construction, the Seminary had subdivided some of its land. This subdivision continued to develop, and by the late nineteenth century the neighborhood had become a fashionable neighborhood, characterized by the consistent style, scale and setback of its structures. Basically unaltered by the hands of time, this neighborhood still retains the character of an affluent and prosperous nineteenth century urban community.
Location:
GPS Coordinates:
39.065976, -84.511709
Peaselburg
Although it is a large neighborhood, Peaselburg is a tight knit community with a very active neighborhood association. According to local tradition, Peasel is German for "goose droppings," and the community derived its name from the goose farms that were here in the early days. Peaselburg's gateway mosaic sign features three geese, and a statue of a goose stands proudly in front of the flowers at the sign's base. The sign also has tiles laid to simulate the brick patterns found in the homes, churches, and buildings of the area. Churches play an active role throughout Peaselburg. One, St. Augustine, is featured on the Faith Tour. Another interesting Peaselburg site featured on the Faith Tour is the Garden of Hope.
Location:
3611 Decoursey Ave.
GPS Coordinates:
39.048305, -84.503372
Latonia
Before 1909, Latonia was an independent city, named after a nearby ante-bellum spa. Although the L & N Railroad played a great role in the community's history, Latonia is best known as the home of the Latonia Racetrack, located here from 1880 to 1930. With the opening of the racetrack, Latonia experienced a population explosion, and the original modest structures at Rittes Corner were replaced by handsome two and three story brick buildings. Ritte's Corner, continued to grow until World War II. After the war, the decline in railroad passenger service and the closing of the racetrack took their toll. Thanks to efforts of local citizens, Ritte's Corner has retained much of its original urban and architectural character.
Location:
GPS Coordinates:
39.060045, -84.500509
Levassor Park
Like Wallace Woods, Levassor Park was originally an estate belonging to a gentleman farmer named Eugene Levassor, an immigrant from France. He sold part of his estate to Daniel Holmes, who had been raised by the Levassor family. Holmes built a a 32-room red brick English-Gothic mansion known as "the castle" on the grounds in 1867. After Holmes' death, the family sold the estate to the Covington Board of Education. In 1932, the mansion was razed to make room for a new high school building. The Levassor estate was subdivided in the 1930s and developed into a middle, upper middle class neighborhood.
Location:
Madison Ave. at Sterrett Ave.
GPS Coordinates:
39.06419, -84.500356
Wallace Woods
Located near the Licking River, Wallace Woods was founded in the late nineteenth century by prominent Covington gentleman farmers and entrepreneurs Daniel Henry Holmes, Eugene Levassor, and Robert Wallace Jr. By the 1920s the neighborhood was thriving. Today the Wallace Woods Neighborhood Association is one of the most active in Covington. With monthly meetings and a community newsletter called THE OWL, Wallace Woods residents gather throughout the year for events such as the annual neighborhood yard sale, pie and cake auction, bluegrass dinner, neighborhood block parties, corn roasts, contests, house tours, and Easter egg hunts.
Location:
GPS Coordinates:
39.074472, -84.502783
Austinburg, Helentown, Eastside
The Eastside Neighborhood is proud to include Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center, The Frank Duveneck Arts and Cultural Center, the Lincoln Grant building, 9th Street Baptist Church, and the Cathedral Basilica. Helentown has a concentration of Victorian architecture, enhanced by street scapes with wrought iron fences and brick sidewalks. The history of Austinburg began in the 1840s when Seneca Austin bought land along the Licking River and subdivided it a decade later. The railroad, which originally ran at the edge of Austinburg, played a significant role in shaping the community. In 1908, St. Benedict Church was built. This district developed after 1867, when completion of the Roebling Bridge caused a building boom in Covington.
Location:
502 Scott Blvd
GPS Coordinates:
39.085982, -84.50892
Website:
Kenton County Public Library
The Covington branch of the Kenton County Public Library was selected as the starting point and kiosk site for the Experience Covington tour not only because of its convenient downtown location and ample parking, but also because of its wealth of resources and knowledgeable staff, including special collections, community histories and microfilm resources. Their web site has databases of historical information. Library staff worked with local residents to create the photo book, Covington, as part of the Images of America series and is currently working to develop another pictorial history book. This site is on the Arts and Culture Tour. Open to the public • Handicapped accessible • Hours: Mon-Thurs 9-9, Fri 9-6, Sat 10-5, Sun 1-5
