City to apply for grant to restore George Hatch House

George Hatch House: Click to enlarge

City Council has unanimously approved the application for $10,000 in National Parks Service funds to restore the historic George Hatch House in the West End.

The George Hatch House, at 830 Dayton Street, had been vacant for three years but is currently undergoing renovation.

Recent inspections have shown severe water and termite damage on the 15 wood windows of the building's main facade. Some of the building's shutters are missing and must be replaced, while those that are salvageable will be repaired.

Hatch's Folly, LLC, a non-profit organzation, would oversee the window and shutter replacement and would match the National Park Service grant with $7,650 of their general operating funds.

They plan to issue a request for proposals next March, with construction work taking place between June and September.

Once work on the windows is complete, Hatch's Folly will turn to restoration of the building's facade and the replacement of its mechanicals.

The George Hatch House was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 as part of the Dayton Street National Register Historic District. In August, the Cincinnati Preservation Association submitted a nomination to have it listed individually.

Once the home of Cincinnati Mayor George Hatch, it was eventually sub-divided into apartments. Hatch's Folly plans to turn it into a museum and educational facility about Hatch, Cincinnati's Civil War history, and the Black Brigade of Cincinnati.

The Certified Local Government Subgrant is part of a national historic preservation program and is administered through the state's Historic Preservation Office.