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Cincinnati Costume Company fire

Guest Quimbob
Guest Quimbob
in Architecture, Environmental, and Preservation

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I was coming down Central at about 8:30 last night and I can say it wasn't your average house fire.  This thing was huge and those FF's had there hands full.  Almost drove off the WH viaduct looking back torwards UHeights from Fairmount.

 

I agree it sucks becuse it was an awesome set of historical structures with a very productive business that is nationally known.

I've been in there to pick up some costumes (don't ask). It was incredible, and chock full of flammable materials. Real shame.

It is unfortunate.  They did have a lot of stuff.  A coworker and I had to rent a bunch of Star Trek uniforms from them about a year ago (long story).  They had a lot of stuff in there.  During one of my visits there, I ran into someone I know who works at the museum center.  They were renting customs for a program they were doing.

^^^ Did they have a costume of your avatar?

I saw some smoke as I was walking home from class.  Headed down Marshal toward McMicken and I can honestly say that this thing was huge! I was in the parking lot at the D&M Mart(?) and the two story structure was totally engulfed and flames were 30 feet above the roof line.  It wasn't like a couple of fires going, the entire area was fire.  The fire engines were driving down McMicken with fire hoses connected to hydrants a couple blocks down, they didn't have enough water!  Then the power transformers started to pop, which was cool and colorful, except McMicken is a small, skinny road and the FF were shooting water at the fire and the transformers were blowing right next to them.  Soon enough the cops came and told use to move further back. All in all, its sad that the business was lost, but thats what insurance is for. Lucky, the brick structure survived, but I don't know how much interior damage there is.

^^^ Did they have a costume of your avatar?

 

Nope, no blue blob costume.  :( 

 

All in all, its sad that the business was lost, but thats what insurance is for. Lucky, the brick structure survived, but I don't know how much interior damage there is.

 

Hopefully she has enough insurance to cover all those costumes.  However, she probably spent a ton of time aquiring those costumes and probably making some.  That probably cannot be covered through insurance payments. 

^I am sure her insurance company will find a way to hose her but even if they  give her top dollar - that stuff just isn't lying around out there waiting to be bought. Those places are almost like museums.

^I am sure her insurance company will find a way to hose her but even if they  give her top dollar - that stuff just isn't lying around out there waiting to be bought. Those places are almost like museums.

 

I'll bet quite a bit of that stuff can not be replaced.

Don't forget about how cool the building was that it occupied.

It was a cool building.  I own a rental property just up the street from it, I need to get over there and check out the damage.

I've been hearing that the building on the corner could possibly be saved, at least as a shell.  It was by far the best of the buildings, though the loss of one is too many.

 

For those who aren't from the area, here's a pic.  The turreted building is still standing.  Those between that building and the large white building are a pile of rubble.

cincinnaticostumepx5.jpg

 

Here's today's Enquirer coverage.  There are a bunch of photos and some video there.

 

Both from the 7/11/07 Enquirer:

 

 

PHOTO: At least 70 Cincinnati firefirefighters battled a blaze Tuesday night at the Cincinnati Costume Co. at 2724 W. McMicken Ave. in University Heights. The plume of smoke could be seen for miles.  The Enquirer/Glenn Hartong

 

PHOTO: Erik Taylor of Price Hill with Ron Taylor Repair measures a door opening for plywood at the Cincinnati Costume Company in University Heights Wednesday morning.  The Enquirer/Glenn Hartong

 

PHOTO GALLERIES

* Photos: Fire in University Heights

* Photos: Costume company gutted

* Video: Fire destroys warehouse

 

Fire damage: $500,000

BY WILLIAM A. WEATHERS AND QUAN TRUONG

 

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS - A five-alarm fire that gutted the Cincinnati Costume Co. caused more than $500,000 in damage and destroyed “about 20 years of blood, sweat and tears,’’ owner Caren Young said.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070711/ENT/70711006/

 

For those who aren't from the area, here's a pic.  The turreted building is still standing.  Those between that building and the large white building are a pile of rubble.

 

Thank goodness!  I thought of that building when I heard the news...I'm glad it might be salvageable.

That building held Allied Window for many years.  They were crammed in there, and a few years ago they moved out to Evendale.  I think the owners of Allied Window are named Young, so the costume woman may be a relative. 

 

Allied by the way, makes the best "invisible storm windows" for people trying to improve energy efficiency without losing the historic windows.  They have a great product, and sell nationwide.

From the 7/12/07 Enquirer:

 

 

PHOTO: Costumes that escaped the fire still have water and smoke damage. On Wednesday, Erik Taylor, of Ron Taylor Repair, measures a doorway as he prepares to board it up with plywood.  Photos by Glenn Hartong/The Enquirer

 

PHOTO: Elaborate theatrical costumes are part of the debris. Owner Caren Young spent 20 years building the business.

 

Show must go on after fire

Theaters rally behind owner of burned-out costume company

BY WILLIAM A. WEATHERS AND JACKIE DEMALINE

 

Cincinnati's close-knit theater community is rallying around Caren Young, who lost as many as 40,000 costumes that adorned actors on area stages for two decades.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070712/NEWS01/707120331/1077/COL02

 

  • 1 year later...

For a while the site was demolished all around the main building that looked to be salvageable.  However within the past week I went past and noticed some activity and now everything is gone.  The site is completely cleared and just sitting there flattened with a bunch of dirt.  This was a real loss, especially for that neighborhood.

Bummer, I wonder how the company is doing?

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