Since 1804 the Betts House has stood on this spot, the oldest surviving building in Cincinnati. Feel the weight of time in its brick: this is the oldest brick home in Ohio and the oldest remaining residential structure in downtown Cincinnati. Once, this house sat at the heart of a 111 acres (45 ha) farm and brick yard, a country place that gradually yielded to the city you see now.
It’s more than a relic; it is a working house museum and the headquarters of The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Ohio. Inside, exhibits and programs explore Cincinnati history, historic preservation, and the built environment — the very stories that transformed a rural plot into this urban block. Think of the families who made the journey here: in 1795 William and Phebe Betts left Rahway, New Jersey and paused in Brownsville, Pennsylvania before settling and building this home.
You can almost hear the changed landscape in the bricks around you. Beyond this door, you'll find the Betts-Longworth Historic District's West End streets still framing the home the Betts family built.