Berwick Hotel, Cambridge, Ohio
The Berwick Hotel is a historic building located at the corner of Wheeling Avenue and Sixth Street in Cambridge, Ohio. Built in the Second Empire style, it features tall windows and decorative details, with an irregular shape that follows the sloped ground, creating sections that are four stories tall while others rise only three stories.
The hotel opened in August 1887 after Colonel Joseph D. Taylor purchased the land in 1866, marking Cambridge's growth following the arrival of the railroad in the 1850s. A devastating fire in 1891 destroyed much of the structure, but Taylor quickly rebuilt it, and the hotel has since remained a symbol of the town's resilience.
The hotel's name honors Colonel Taylor's wife, who came from North Berwick, Maine. This personal connection shows how local buildings sometimes carry stories of the people who built them and their family ties.
The building is located at a prominent corner in the downtown area and is easily reached on foot, especially if you walk along Wheeling Avenue. Take time to walk around the hotel to view its shape and details from different angles, particularly because the slope of the land creates noticeable height differences that become clear from various vantage points.
After the devastating fire of 1891, the hotel was rebuilt in its present Second Empire style, completely replacing the original Romanesque Revival design. This transformation shows how surviving buildings sometimes shift architectural styles and reveal unexpected chapters in their history.
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