The Over-the-Rhine Museum is delighted to announce the next installment in our lecture series, “Three Acts in Over-the-Rhine” on Thursday, December 5, at First Lutheran Church, 1208 Race Street in Over-the-Rhine. Doors will open at 6 pm and the program will begin at 6:30 pm.
The latest set of talks in our Three Acts series will offer a diverse set of topics with something for everyone. We will start off with stories told by Barbara Howe about the Zion Evangelical Church, then learn from speaker Ed Rider about Procter & Gamble’s history in Over-the-Rhine, and finally Annette Januzzi Wick will share a tale about a family who lived at 1419 Race Street.
Barbara Howe | Zion Evangelical Church: My Family’s Church in Over-the-Rhine
Located at the northeast corner of 15th and “Bremen” (Republic) Street lies the former Zion Church. The “Deutsche Evangelische Zions Kirche” was home to an active congregation serving German immigrants and their families in Over-the-Rhine for 91 years. Barb Howe will share some of the stories she has collected from family and friends about the church.
Barb Howe grew up in Northside and graduated from Walnut Hills and UC before earning a doctorate in history from Temple University. She worked for the Ohio Historic Preservation Office at Heidelberg College in Tiffin before moving to West Virginia University in 1980 to start the Public History Program and then direct the Center for Women’s Studies. Now retired, she is adding to the history of her paternal family members, who lived in Over the Rhine and were members of Zion Evangelical Church.
Ed Rider | Thomas Edison, Ivory Soap and the Great Fire: The Story of Procter and Gamble's Manufacturing Operation in Over-the-Rhine
From 1850 until 1885 P&G made all of its soap and candles in a factory on Central Avenue next to the canal. It was at this location that Ivory Soap was invented in 1879. But that is just part of the story.
Ed Rider served as the archivist and historian for P&G for 32 years until his retirement in 2012. Ed is a long time member of the Board of the Friends of Music Hall and serves on the OTR Museum Advisory Board.
Annette Januzzi Wick | 1419: A Love Story
In 1875, Charles Mueller built the home on 1419 Race Street and ran his apothecary out of what is now Nellie’s Tavern at Taft’s Ale House. Charles and his wife, Katherine, had six children, all of whom led diverse and fascinating lives. In 2018, descendants of Charles and his wife found their way to 1419 Race Street—as guests—and left behind a piece of history. Annette and Mark will share how they fell for the neighborhood and were later “adopted” by this family of descendants.
Annette Januzzi Wick and Mark Manley call their once-abandoned 1875 Italianate-style townhome at 1419 Race Street their love child. The couple both lost their first spouses to cancer. Years later, they married and blended families and possessions, but never a home, until they purchased one in Over-the-Rhine in 2012. They planted themselves in the neighborhood through the community council and non-profit engagement, walking the streets at night and at dawn and in writing, to connect, learn and grow.
Doors will open at 6:00 PM for appetizers before the event, with speakers starting at 6:30 PM. The Museum suggests a $5 donation for this evening of provocative stories.
Three Acts in Over-the-Rhine is an innovative series designed to expose attendees to stories of the Over- the-Rhine neighborhood. Each event features three fifteen-minute talks on the history of Over-the-Rhine. All three presenters answer questions together about their presentations. For advance tickets, click here to our Eventbrite listing. You can also find and share the event on Facebook (click here).
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The Over-the-Rhine Museum inspires understanding and respect for the people who have created and lived in Cincinnati’s historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood by working with visitors and community members to uncover, present, and preserve their stories in an immersive experience.