Success Story | Holloway House and Resource Center
New Resource Center Supporting Teen Parents Breathes New Life into Former Landbank Property
In March of 2025, Rosemary’s Babies officially opened the Holloway House and Resource Center in a historic home on Reading Road. The Hamilton County Landbank, a managed entity of The Port, had previously stabilized the property in partnership with the City of Cincinnati. Today, the fully restored building serves as a critical resource hub for teen parents, offering housing, workforce training, financial coaching, health and wellness services, and more.
A Historic Property in Need of Support
The “Julia Rubel House” was originally built in the late 1890s. Designed by renowned architect Samuel Hannaford, the Colonial Revival-style residence sits at a prominent corner along Reading Road. Owned by the Rubel family until at least the 1940s, it gained a rear addition at some point, and over time, the building was subdivided into multiple units as a nursing home.
By 2018, the home had fallen into disrepair and required significant stabilization. The City of Cincinnati identified the property as an ideal candidate for the Landbank’s Historic Structure Stabilization Program and provided funding to support the project.
Despite its deteriorated state, many of the home’s defining architectural features remained, including an expansive veranda with radius porch, rusticated brick pillars and quoins, slate roof, dormer windows, and modillioned cornice.
Stabilizing with Sensitivity
Mindful of the property’s unique architectural pedigree and with an emphasis on maintaining and restoring its unique, character-defining elements, the team began the work of stabilizing the structure. Original wood floors, trim, columns, and corbels were saved whenever possible and preserved for the next end user.
Utilizing old photographs, the team recreated elements, including the entire front porch of the home. Using the building techniques of the 1890s, wood pieces were steamed and curved to replicate the porch’s sweeping radius. The team also removed a wall added in the house’s foyer, opening up the main entry to the grand staircase as originally designed.
A Historic Home’s Next Chapter
Rosemary Oglesby-Henry founded Rosemary’s Babies in 2013, a nonprofit focused on supporting teen parents and families in our region. Seeing the challenges teen parents were facing with homelessness and housing insecurity, Rosemary’s Babies began the Holloway House and Resource Center initiative to expand its ability to provide support.
The 6,000-square-foot Rubel House was a perfect fit for the organization, and Rosemary’s Babies began work on transforming the historic building into a state-of-the-art facility designed to act as a safe haven for teen parent families.
Opened in 2025, the Holloway House and Resource Center offers more than just transitional housing options. The facility offers a multitude of resources, including:
- Levi’s Learning Lab
- Computer Lab and Library
- Holistic Healing Garden & Play Area
- Learning Kitchen
The move to the new facility also opened up the existing Rosemary’s Babies office to be transformed into the Petals Playhouse & Activity Center. The center offers education through play for children up to five years old.
The completed facility is a great example of the importance of stabilizing our historic structures. It preserves impactful buildings for new end users with a vision. This beautifully restored historic home has seen over a century of change and is now seeing new life serving as a hub to provide support and safety for a new generation of residents.
To learn more about the Landbank and the Structure Stabilization Program, please visit: www.hamiltoncountylandbank.org
For more information about Rosemary’s Babies Co. and the Holloway House and Resource Center, please visit: www.rosemarysbabies.co