Riverview, sometimes referred to as the 2nd Ward, is a historically rich neighborhood with many active churches and proud history
Long before the City of Hamilton formally recognized their neighborhoods formally through the 17 Strong initiative, its land was broken into political districts known as ‘wards.’ Riverview, as it was named by the initiative, has been known as Second Ward for almost as long as the city has stood.
Stretching its arms from a little beyond Knightsbridge Dr., to where the railroad tracks enter the east side and run along Sycamore St., Riverview is rich in history, as it was a focal point for the industrialization and growth of our town.
Back when the nation was youthful and Ohio was the southeast chunk of the Northwest Territory, General Arthur St. Clair directed his men to march north from Fort Washington (present-day Cincinnati). The troops started to carve out a road on what is present-day Knightsbridge and built a fort on the banks of the Great Miami. Just as that road currently serves as the border of the Riverview neighborhood, it was the first southern border of Hamilton.
As time progressed, so did the demographics of those living in Second Ward. The first to live on the land were pioneers of the newly incorporated land and were largely veterans of the Indians Wars. As the industrial revolution kicked America into an economic superpower, German immigrants started to inhabit the few blocks.
In the mid-1800s, the German community had grown larger than St. Stephen’s parish could serve, so St. Joseph’s church was built in 1866 on the corner of South 2nd St., and still stands a major landmark today. The gilded cross standing atop the 175-foot steeple can still be seen from most of the city. Above the entrance to the church an inscription reading “Saint Joesph’s Kirche” still is there. Across the street from St. Joe’s sits what was once Notre Dame High School. The school was an all-girls catholic school from 1923 to 1966, when Notre Dame and Hamilton Catholic combined to make Stephen T. Badin High School. Now the building serves as a housing facility for seniors known as Sherman Manor.
The next wave of migration to Hamilton came from the south and included a dense population of African-Americans. Racial prejudice in the area led to “red-lining,” a form of discrimination where banks wouldn’t allow Black Americans into most neighborhoods. This practice was widely implemented throughout our country and has led to many of the racial problems we have today.
St. Joe’s isn’t the only beacon of worship in the Riverview neighborhood, as faith is a central part in the area’s history. The Payne Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, located at 320 South Front St., is outside the neighborhood but has long played a role in the community– dating all the way back to 1842. The original church was built in 1877, but the congregation moved to their current location in 1996.
Just as the churches are major landmarks inside the neighborhood, so is Bailey Square. Named after Hamilton High School hall of fame Miami University football standout, Jim “Boxcar” Bailey. The square sits on South 2nd St. in between Chesnut and Walnut St.
The Booker T. Washington Community Center is a pillar of the Riverview Community. Planting it’s root near River Road on South Front St. directly after the first World War in 1918. The current building was built in 1942. The facility holds a gym, game room and indoor swimming pool. Outdoors sits basketball courts, tennis courts, baseball diamonds and a shelter for picnics. Most days during the summer you can see active members of the community celebrity in the shelter.
Foundation Field, which sits on the same property, is the home diamond for the Hamilton Joes of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League. One summer, the field served as the home park of the Florence Freedom professional baseball team.
Booker T. Washington and Foundation Field aren’t the only major landmarks on Knightsbridge. Riverview Elementary, built-in 2010, sits on the same site as the school it replaced, Harrison Elementary. The former institution of learning was built in 1952.
Riverview’s history is proud, and the residents who were raised in the neighborhood and went on to achieve greatness are plentiful.
Roger Troutman and his brothers broke through the music scene in the late 1970s and 1980s. Roger reached the top of the R&B charts with his cover of Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” His song “I Want to Be Your Man” reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
Ray Pryor was an all-American center for the Ohio State football team. Pryor was born in Alabama but his family moved to Second Ward when he was 10.
Ragan Henry graduated from Harvard University Law School and became the first African-American to own a network-affiliated TV station.
Alex Ellis, who at one point was the director of the Booker T. Washington Center, played in the NBA for the Lakers.
For as long as there has been Hamilton, there has been this community– a community that is proud.