A former industrial campus in South Fairmount set for redevelopment is now on the National Register of Historic Places, the United States government’s official list of historical buildings, sites and structures considered worthy of preservation.
The Lunkenheimer Valve Company District, a group of former manufacturing buildings located between Beekman and Pinetree streets to the west and east and Waverly and Queen City avenues to the north and south, is owned by Cincinnati’s The Port, a public agency that works to redevelop unproductive real estate into opportunities for job creation and housing. The Hamilton County Landbank, a managed entity of The Port, sponsored its nomination to the National Register as part of revitalization efforts in South Fairmount.
“We are incredibly proud that these buildings have been recognized at the national level,” The Port President and CEO, Laura Brunner, said in a press release. “Our team has worked tirelessly to ensure this landmark remains a vibrant part of our city’s architectural, cultural and industrial identity. This nomination reinforces our belief that preserving the past is essential to inspiring the future.”
The district was once the site of the family-owned Lunkenheimer Valve Company in the 1800s and early 1900s, which employed thousands of workers in the area to produce industrial items like valves, oil lubricators and steam whistles that helped power locomotives, ships and aircraft, including parts for Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis. You can still see some of the original equipment sitting on top of the foundry building.
Plans to transform the historic district include turning the Lunkenheimer Foundry Building at 1515 Tremont St., the Lunkenheimer Office Building at 1500 Waverly Ave. and the Midwest Textiles Building at 2450 Beekman St. into a mixed-use hub, with affordable, workforce and market-rate housing and retail space. The Port says the spot on the National Register is another win toward preserving and rehabilitating these buildings.
“Driving across the Western Hills Viaduct into the West Side, the Lunkenheimer Valve Company building stands as a massive presence,” said Beth Johnson, executive director of the Cincinnati Preservation Association. “Its walls hold a unique history that shaped modern manufacturing and anchored the surrounding community. Listing this property in the National Register acknowledges both its past and its continued importance to Cincinnati’s industrial and cultural landscape. This designation is a strategic step towards its preservation, creating a new life for the building and for this vital gateway to the West Side.”
Along with Lunkenheimer’s placement on the National Register, the Landbank says it has achieved other milestones, like environmental cleanup of the foundry, obtaining stabilization funding for the foundry and office buildings and gaining control of all three sites. In 2026, the group plans to continue its stabilization and environmental remediation efforts on the sites.
The Port adds that the Lunkenheimer project builds on the revitalization momentum in the neighborhood, which is now home to the Lick Run Greenway Trail and will benefit from the replacement of the Western Hills Viaduct.
You can learn more about The Port and its projects at cincinnatiport.org.