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HISTORY
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Camp Springs, Kentucky
is located ten miles southeast of Cincinnati, Ohio. In the middle of the
19th century, a small group of German immigrants settled in this small rural
area of Campbell County. The group, many of whom (according to the 1860 census)
emigrated from the wine districts along the Rhine River, established hillside
farms and vineyards of their own. At one point, Camp Springs was part
of a small geographical area that produced 1/3 of the national wine output. Campbell
County's share was 40% of Kentucky's total wine production and the
German farmers in Camp Springs generated 1/5 of that. The size of the farms
in Camp Springs at the time were relatively small. Only two of the German owned
farms stretched out over 100 acres. But wine is not the only historical topic
from Camp Springs. The architecture and design of more than 50 buildings also
is an important and unique feature of this town. The settlers of Camp Springs chose
to use stones as a building material for many of their homes and various
structures. Most of today's remaining stone structures were built between 1860
& 1871. Due to geographic elements, a large number of these stone houses
were built alongside a hillside. This important feature of the Camp Springs settlement
enabled direct access into two elevations of the building. This bank-type
construction not only separated residential and commercial activities,
it also protected the residents and their perishables from the weather.
The construction of churches, stores and taverns were also on the agenda of Camp Spring's early
settlers. German Lutherans built St. John's Church on Tug Fork Road. Church
records indicate Lutherans from Clermont and Hamilton Counties in Ohio
often traveled across the Ohio River for baptisms in Camp Springs. While the
original limestone building from 1866 no longer exists, the cemetery is still
intact. The growing number of Catholics chose the highest and most visible location
in the area to build their place of worship. German Catholics from Covington
selected the site in the 1840's and by 1865, today's recognizable Gothic
Revival Brick edifice was completed. By the end of the19th century, the German
migration to Camp Springs had ended. After the vineyards had been destroyed
by blight, orchard and vegetable products emerged as the chief agricultural
staples of the area. Frame and brick houses became the choice for new homes,
abandoning the once popular stone. Dwellings, taverns, churches, and farm
complexes each contributed to the unique quality of the German settlement
in this tiny community once known as Hayfield. Camp Springs is indeed
rich in history. The work and concerns of a devoted group of German immigrants
has left its mark forever in the hills and stone houses of Camp Springs.
Click here for an historical article by
Lonnie Enzweiler on Four Mile Cemetary.
Click here to
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