On Two Bookends

Ezzard Charles was the heavyweight boxing champion 1946-1951 as he won the crown from Joe Louis then lost it to Jersey Joe Walcot. He came to Cincinnati at age 9, and for his accomplishment, the city named a street in his honor. Interesting, Ezzard Charles Drive is only a mile long, but connects two of Cincinnati’s treasures that are in this image … and this post is about the bookends of Ezzard Charles Drive. The most prominent structures in the image above.

At one end – Music Hall. Built in 1878, Music Hall is one of the grand music venues in the country and home to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and other professional performing organizations. Actually three buildings in one, Cincinnati’s German heritage and their love for music brought this grand building into reality. Being that my wife and I have engaged in ballroom dancing in recent years, we love Music Hall’s ballroom. Nonetheless, Music Hall is a local treasure with a rich history. To learn more about this gem, click here or scroll through these Google images.

At the other end- Union Terminal. From its Grand Rotunda, art deco design throughout, and beautiful, colorful murals, Union Terminal served as Cincinnati’s railroad station from 1933 to 1972. In 1977 the building was designated a National Historic Landmark, while in 2007, the American Institute of Architects noted the building to be #44 on their list of favorite American architecture.

Although the wrecking ball loomed large at one time, today’s Union Terminal is the home to the Cincinnati Museum Center, which houses the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History, the Cincinnati Historical Society, the Robert D. Linder OMNIMAX Theater, and site for temporary exhibits. My favorite display is Cincinnati in Motion: a room-size model of the city. (Pictured, and here’s a short tour through it on a model train). I adore the building and its offerings, so to learn more about this treasure click here or scroll through these Google images.

Music Hall and Union Terminal are Cincinnati treasures from two different eras. Yet, each serves as a bookend on a street named for a Cincinnatian that many people may not know.