John deKoven Hill's Corbett House backyard

[JChoate]

While traveling in Cincinnati yesterday, I went by the Corbett House. I was surprised to discover a new cul de sac in what had been its spacious backyard. The ground is now cleared in anticipation of what I expect will be a new neighborhood of spec houses. Judging by the stakes in the ground, the new property line is very close to the all glass rear of Corbett. Once the new houses (McMansions?) are erected the Corbett house will be forever impacted.




As of yesterday, here's the view from the new cul de sac behind the house:



the view of the back of the house while standing on the new property line:

[SDR]

Geez -- that's too bad. Shades of Willey, and the Villa Schroder ?

S

[SREcklund]

Of course, it's only that way because the current owner apparently decided to cash out ...

[Paul Ringstrom]

The Corbett House was purchased by the neighbor to the left and their combined acreage was subdivided and then the Corbett House was put back on the market.

[SREcklund]

The Corbett House was purchased by the neighbor to the left and their combined acreage was subdivided and then the Corbett House was put back on the market.

Slightly less distasteful. Slightly ...

[DRN]

Maggie Smith sums it up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qrx8t-HynQ

[JChoate]

whoever buys the Corbett house will need to have some additional funds to by draperies

[peterm]

Or fast growing deciduous trees plus pines for the winter...

[JChoate]

This photo, from a current real estate website, shows the Corbett house's view of the Ohio River -- here visible just above the yellow bulldozer.

Sadly, the need to screen the exposure to the back of the new houses will likely close the curtain on this grand view.



real estate website: http://www.luxuryportfolio.com/Property ... -park/CKIT

[JChoate]

The Corbett house came up in a conversation I was having yesterday, and it made me want to check Google Earth to see the status of things there.
Their most recent satelite image appears to be a year & a half old, but we can already see the McMansions have blossomed. One winces when contemplating the resulting views from the Corbett house. The distant bend of the Ohio River has been upstaged by scattershot planes of asphalt shingles.



Here's the boots-on-the-ground view, featuring the real estate signage -- "lots available"





Looking on the marketing website, we see some information about the lots, but I couldn't detect any mention of the Corbett House or its significance.
https://www.sibcycline.com/Listing/CIN/ ... k-OH-45208


The colorful site plan depicts the Corbett House retaining some of its surrounding greenspace:



But, ominously, they've included a legal site survey which shows the property lines established so that the immediate front and back yards are carved up into 4 additional lots, leaving Corbett wedged in like any other suburban tract house. Ouch!

[Roderick Grant]

This is not only an insult to John deKoven Hill, but also to John Geiger, who worked with Johnnie on the house, and did the working drawings.