About this property
The Hotel Metropole is a Neoclassical hotel in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Conceived by lawyer Joseph C. Thoms and designed by architectural firm Joseph Steinkamp & Brother, the hotel opened in 1913. In 1973, the hotel became a low-income apartment building under the name Mid-Towne Apartments, but was converted back into a hotel in 2012. The Hotel Metropole was conceived by lawyer Joseph C. Thoms, who believed that Cincinnati had a dearth of luxury hotels. Thoms hired architectural firm Joseph Steinkamp & Bro. to design the Neoclassical building. The name "Hotel Metropole" was announced on May 17, 1912. A management corporation for the hotel, named the Hotel Metropole Cafe Company, was established on June 22 with a capitalization of $100,000. On September 13, a dispute between the International Association of Steamfitters and the United Association of Plumbers and Steamfitters resulted in a strike of nearly 2000 workers across several large projects in Cincinnati, including the Hotel Metropole and the Fourth and Vine Tower. The strike was called off on September 28, and work on the hotel resumed that day. 20 carpenters went on strike on December 2 after sheet metal workers were tasked with installing elevator doors. As the doors were wooden with a metal covering, the carpenters stated that they should perform the installation. The strike, which by then involved 27 carpenters, was resolved on December 11. Unhappy with the elevator doors being given to the carpenters, over 150 men from 12 unions began another strike on December 13. The total cost of construction was $324,271. The hotel initially targeted an opening date in September 1912, but was unable to open until April 1 of the following year due to the labor disputes. The delay cost the Cafe Company $115,000. As it opened during a "dull season" for hotels, the Metropole struggled to attract business in its early months and was unable to sell its stock. The Cafe Company did not believe that it could financially support the hotel for the remainder of the dull season, and the company's Board of Directors decided to place the hotel into receivership on July 17. A judge appointed Theodore Foucar as the hotel's receiver the following day after a company shareholder filed a lawsuit. Foucar's receivership prevented the hotel from acquiring a liquor license, as Foucar was already the owner of a saloon and the Liquor License Commission refused to grant two licenses to the same person. Foucar announced his intent to resign as receiver due to the licensing issue. J. Harry Asmann, Jr. became the Metropole's new receiver on October 1.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Hotel Metropole listed on the National Register?
Hotel Metropole was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 17, 2009.
What type of historic resource is Hotel Metropole?
Hotel Metropole is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Hotel Metropole?
The period of significance for Hotel Metropole is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1913.
Can I research the history near Hotel Metropole?
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