Chatfield College Receives Award for Historic Rehabilitation of New Campus

Chatfield College President John P. Tafaro with Paul Muller, Executive Director for CPA

Chatfield College recently received the Cincinnati Preservation Association (CPA) Rehabilitation Award for its newly renovated campus in historic Over-the-Rhine at the CPA’s  51^st annual meeting.

According to CPA, the Rehabilitation Award recognizes owners and developers of historic buildings that have been substantially restored or rehabilitated and comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Work must have been completed within the last year.

Chatfield began renovation of  the historic building at 1544 Central Parkway in September, 2014.  The project was completed in August 2015, in time for Fall classes.  Built in 1870, the building originally housed a stable for the Windisch-Mulhauser/Lion Brewery.  In 1923, the Cincinnati Association for the Welfare of the Blind purchased it, built a large addition, and operated a broom factory there serving its clients for many years.  Upon completion of its most recent life as a printing company, the structure has remained largely vacant for the past several years.

The $3.4 million project repaired brick and limestone, re-opened blocked-in openings, and duplicated original windows based on surviving sashes. The interior was transformed into classroom, office, and work space which retained historic materials when possible and reduced energy consumption.

“We are grateful to CPA for its recognition of our efforts to restore this historic structure in a way that preserves the character of the Over-the-Rhine community,” said John P. Tafaro, President.  “CPA was very helpful with our efforts to receive historic tax credits, which greatly enhanced our capacity to take on this project.”

The Cincinnati Preservation Association is a not-for-profit organization that serves the Greater Cincinnati community as the recognized resource and catalyst for the preservation of historic cultural resources such as architecturally significant buildings, archeological sites, historic public art and monuments and landscapes. This is accomplished through education, advocacy, and technical support.