Keyer's Pipe Shop

Keyer's Pipe Shop is a shop that stood for nearly a century in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, and one that tells the American craft roots of pipe making well. This was not a factory or a designer's workshop, but a family business, passed down through generations, founded by a craftsman at the lathe.

From Turner to Shop

The business's founder, Louis Keyer Sr., was a master by trade as a turner. His skill at shaping wood on the lathe led him toward three products: pipes, canes, and umbrella handles. These three items, which seem worlds apart today, formed a natural whole for a period city tradesman; all three came off the same bench with the same skill. The Keyer family moved to 1225 Main Street in 1896 and opened the shop below the house. Following Louis's death a year later, in 1897, the business passed to his son Charles.

The business grew under Charles Keyer's leadership. Around 1920 the adjoining number 1227 was also added to the shop; the mosaic flooring at the entrance is thought to date from this same expansion. It is also recalled that William Keyer, of the next generation of the family, took over running the business, though exactly how the transition happened is not clear from the records.