John Nolen's Legacy

Just a few miles east of Cincinnati on Route 50 lies a gem of a town: Mariemont. If you're a planner or planning commissioner and don't know about Mariemont, you should.

Over lunch -- and during a tour afterwards -- I received a short history lesson from Millard Rogers. Millard is former Director of the Cincinnati Museum of Art and a long-time Mariemont resident. He's also written a history of the village.

Mariemont had its beginnings in 1913 when Mary Emery, a wealthy philanthropist, decided she wanted to do something about the tenement situation and housing in Cincinnati.

Since much of her family wealth was based on real estate, it's perhaps not surprising that her thoughts turned to land. More specifically, undeveloped land outside of the city. Emery purchased 250 acres of farmland (Mariemont today encompasses about 600 acres).

Working with her talented secretary, property manager (and surrogate son) Charles Livingood, a key decision was made in 1920: the hiring of John Nolen to plan the layout and design of the village.

Nolen's plan was largely implemented. Based on an English village model, it constitutes an integrated mix of apartments, residences, commercial buildings, an inn, boulevards, and parks. Of special note to planners is how well the open spaces mesh into the community's fabric. The open spaces come in all different sizes, and each seems to have its own character.

Mariemont is a remarkable place to walk around. I'm including just a few of the many photos I took; if you click on them you'll get a larger version. You'll note how the schools are right next to residential areas. And how seamlessly houses and commercial uses mix.

It's just the model that new urbanists are looking to create. And here it is, fully realized back in the 1920s.

Mariemont was meant by John Nolen to be a "national exemplar" -- the first of a series of developments. But the timing was bad, as shortly after Mariemont's development the Depression hit, followed by World War II and the demand for quick, large-scale house production -- something quite different from the design detail and craftsmanship found in Mariemont.

Mariemont is thriving today. Planning consultant Frank Raeon and architect Dennis Malone (who is also Mariemont's building administrator) told me that the village still contains a broad mix of incomes, with rentals available at fairly reasonable prices -- as when it was first developed.

[photo from left to right: Millard Rogers, Dennis Malone, Frank Raeon]

They also noted that many residents, who become attached to the close-knit community feel of Mariemont, move from apartment or small house to a larger place within Mariemont over the course of time -- sometimes making several moves up the housing "ladder." This attests to the value of providing a wide mix of housing types within the village.

If you're ever in the Cincinnati area, Mariemont's definitely a place you'll want to take a look at.