The Avondale Neighborhood Archive serves as a repository for both past and present residents of Cincinnati's Avondale neighborhood to preserve documents, objects, and personal accounts. This project was launched in 2021 by the Avondale Neighborhood History Initiative (ANHI) in collaboration with the Avondale branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, the Avondale Development Corporation, and the University of Cincinnati’s Center for the City. ANHI is dedicated to studying the individual lives, memories, and experiences that have collectively made Avondale a cherished place for many. By working together to create this collection, we hope to make privately held materials more accessible and establish a significant archival resource for future students, researchers, and citizens worldwide to learn Avondale's history. 

Please visit the Add to the Archive page to share your stories and materials related to the Avondale neighborhood. 

Recently Added Items

  • Advertisements about the Babe Baker's Jazz Corner

    This is a collection of advertisements about Babe Baker's Jazz Corner created by Jazz pianist and music composter Mr. Pat Kelly. Babe Baker's Jazz Corner was located at 3128 Reading Road. According to Mr. Kelly, Babe Baker's was "one of the best and most contemporary jazz clubs in Cincinnati in the late-50s and 60s [...] John Coltrane Quartet, Lester Young, and Miles Davis were among its many noted performers, as were Cincinnati's own noted Modern Jazz Disciples. Local tenor legend Jimmy McGary played there, with pianist Ed Moss leading a house trio for a time. Edward "Babe" Baker (1916-2005) had also been a jazz DJ on WSAI prior to opening his club and was a successful businessman and entrepreneur whose businesses suffered during the aftermath of the riots of 1968."
  • North Avondale Lions

    Attached is a photo of my dad (on the left with glasses) and our baseball team, which tells a different story of black Jewish relations. 3 of the white kids are Jewish, and 2 others who are brothers have an interesting story. As an adult looking at this picture, I notice a team that is predominantly black with a few white kids. I imagine many adults during that time noticed this. As a kid, however, I never noticed that the majority was black, as were most of the coaches who were also my mentors. We did not ignore that some kids were black and others white, but we primarily saw each other as friends. Growing up in North Avondale from a kid's point of view was special. And I admire the adults who inculcated a healthy to think about and not think about race.
  • Avondale Youth History Corps

    Avondale Youth History Corps is a team of local students in grades 8-10 who served as paid members of the Avondale Neighborhood History Initiative in the summer of 2021. The members met at the Avondale branch library for five hours each week and studied the history of Avondale with a mentor from the University of Cincinnati. They scanned and documented items through two community scanning bees events, built local history binders for the library, and created a closing exhibition on significant individuals in Avondale history.
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