A.D. Price Funeral Home

A.D. Price Funeral Home

A.D. Price Funeral Home is a historic funeral establishment located in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in the early 20th century. The firm has served the Mount Auburn and Over-the-Rhine regions, providing burial and memorial services to families across the Midwest. Over its century-plus existence the business has intersected with regional politics, African American civic life, and local religious institutions.

History

Founded in 1911 by A.D. Price, the firm emerged during the Progressive Era alongside civic projects such as the Cincinnati Music Hall and the development of institutions like the University of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Museum Center. Price established the company amid broader urban shifts tied to figures such as Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, and local leaders including Alfred Bettman and Murray Seasongood, engaging communities that included congregations from Christ Church Cathedral and Mount Auburn Presbyterian. During the Great Migration and the interwar period, the funeral home provided services for families affected by events connected to the Spanish–American War veterans, World War I casualties, and industrial labor incidents at companies like Procter & Gamble and General Electric in Cincinnati. In the mid-20th century, the business navigated legal and social changes contemporaneous with the Brown v. Board of Education decision and the Civil Rights Movement, interacting with clergy from the Cincinnati NAACP chapter and pastors associated with institutions such as Greater Cincinnati’s Liberty Baptist Church and St. Francis Seraph. Ownership transitions and managerial changes paralleled shifts in local governance led by mayors including Charles Phelps Taft II and dress reform debates tied to urban reformers. The funeral home also adapted to technological innovations introduced by companies like Ford Motor Company and General Motors that influenced hearse design and logistics.

Architecture and Facilities

The building, originally commissioned with input from Samuel Hannaford & Sons, reflects Classical Revival influences also seen in Cincinnati structures like the Music Hall and the Cincinnati Union Terminal. Exterior elements evoke precedents established by architects such as Henry Hobson Richardson and firms like McKim, Mead & White. Interior spaces were designed to accommodate parlors, viewing rooms, and embalming facilities, drawing on standards promoted by the National Funeral Directors Association and hygiene recommendations circulating among public health authorities including the American Red Cross. The facility’s chapel and reception rooms hosted ceremonies comparable in scale to memorials held at venues such as Memorial Hall and the Taft Museum of Art. Over time the property underwent renovations influenced by preservation efforts associated with the Cincinnati Historical Society and local landmarking practices akin to those applied to properties on the National Register of Historic Places. Landscaping and lot planning referenced municipal projects like Eden Park improvements and followed urban design principles advocated by Daniel Burnham and urban planners connected to the Cincinnati Planning Commission.

Services Offered

The funeral home historically offered traditional burial services, embalming, visitation, and graveside rites, paralleling service models used by national firms such as Batesville Casket Company and Aurora Casket Company. It arranged religious ceremonies for congregations including Baptist, Catholic, Episcopal, and African Methodist Episcopal communities, collaborating with clergy from institutions like Christ Church Cathedral, St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, and Greater Cincinnati’s Mount Zion Baptist Church. The firm also coordinated with cemeteries and memorial parks such as Spring Grove Cemetery, Vine Street Hill Cemetery, and Walnut Hills Cemetery. In response to changing preferences it incorporated cremation services, green burial consultations, memorial videos, and pre-need funeral planning, reflecting trends seen at the Funeral Consumers Alliance and policy shifts discussed within the Federal Trade Commission regulatory framework. Ancillary offerings included grief counseling referrals, veteran military honors liaising with American Legion posts and Veterans of Foreign Wars chapters, and coordination of obituary placements in outlets like The Cincinnati Enquirer and regional heritage publications.

Notable Funerals and Clients

Throughout its history the firm conducted services for a range of civic figures, community leaders, and families connected to regional institutions. Notable clients included local politicians affiliated with administrations of mayors such as Mark Mallory and John Cranley, educators from the Cincinnati Public Schools, and cultural figures tied to institutions like the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Ballet. The funeral home served clergy members from St. Francis Seraph, Greater Cincinnati’s oldest parishes, and business leaders from companies such as Kroger and Procter & Gamble. It also handled memorials for veterans who served under commands associated with World War II battles including Normandy and Iwo Jima, coordinating honors with the Department of Veterans Affairs and military organizations like the American Legion. Over the decades the establishment accommodated high-profile funerals attended by representatives from university communities including the University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, and the Cincinnati Bar Association.

Community Involvement and Philanthropy

A.D. Price Funeral Home engaged in community outreach, partnering with civic organizations such as the Cincinnati Branch NAACP, United Way of Greater Cincinnati, and local chapters of the Salvation Army. The firm sponsored memorial workshops in collaboration with healthcare providers including Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati Medical Center to support bereavement services. It participated in neighborhood revitalization initiatives near Over-the-Rhine and Mount Auburn alongside development efforts by the Cincinnati Development Fund and the Cincinnati Preservation Association. Philanthropic activities included scholarships for mortuary science students at Midwestern institutions like Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and partnerships with vocational programs associated with the American Board of Funeral Service Education. The business also contributed to public commemorations, civic parades, and remembrance services connected to national observances such as Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

Category:Buildings and structures in Cincinnati Category:Funeral homes in the United States Category:African-American history in Cincinnati