Preserving the Past: First & Grandview District Inventory

Grandview Height’s First & Grandview District Plan map

In early 2025, the Society completed an evaluation of 18 key buildings within the First & Grandview District—an area currently under active planning by the City of Grandview Heights.

These properties, identified in the First & Grandview District Plan as “redevelopment opportunities,” were assessed for their architectural and historic value. Rather than a full district survey, the focus was on providing relevant background of the 18 properties to guide the City’s redevelopment decisions and preserve community character. You can see the complete Society evaluation here.

Each building is documented with a current photo, map, architectural description, and historical narrative. Using National Park Service criteria, Society evaluated each property based on age, design, integrity, and its connection to local history.

The First & Grandview District represents the historic commercial and civic heart of Grandview Heights. Its development was shaped by the 1901 arrival of the Arlington streetcar line, which spurred early business growth along West First Avenue.

Key landmarks (not considered redevelopment sites) include:

• The 1904 Salzgaber farmhouse, still standing at Grandview and First. Avenues

• The Masonic Building (1922), with retail spaces and a fraternal hall, also at Grandview and First. Avenues.

• The Bank Block (1927) on Grandview Avenue, a pioneering shopping center now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Over decades, the district grew with institutions like the Grandview Heights Public Library (1936), the Grandview Medical Building (1938), and modernist commercial buildings of the 1960s.

This inventory helps ensure that Grandview Height’s redevelopment honors the past while planning for the future.

You can view the City’s full First & Grandview District Plan at growingtogether.grandviewheights.gov.