John Hauck House Museum, Cincinnati

The John Hauck House Museum, located in Cincinnati’s Dayton Street Historic District, is a prime example of 19th-century Italianate architecture and one of the finest surviving townhouses from the city’s so-called “Millionaire’s Row.” Built around 1870 for coal dealer George W. Skaats, the mansion was later purchased in the 1880s by John Hauck, a German immigrant and successful brewer whose brewery operated just a block away.

The exterior of the Hauck House is immediately impressive, with its striking carved stone façade, while the interior stuns with elaborately painted ceilings, parquet wood floors, marble mantels, and exquisite woodwork and plaster detailing that reflects the Victorian taste for opulence. The house was once a fully functioning historic house museum, established to help visitors understand urban daily life in Cincinnati during the late 19th century.

Today, the John Hauck House serves as the home base of the Cincinnati Preservation Association, which occupies the second floor as office space. The first floor houses a Preservation Library and Resource Room, open by appointment only, with support from the John Hauck Foundation and in memory of Michael Ibold Wilger. Museum visitors can still explore a dedicated museum room, which tells the story of John Hauck, his family, and their brewing legacy.

The site continues to evolve. In 2024, renovation work began to convert the first floor of the historic carriage house into a conference center, aimed at hosting preservation workshops, events, and meetings. Additionally, the Hauck House hosts occasional public events, including a Members-Only open house every August, offering a unique opportunity to experience this grand piece of Cincinnati history firsthand.