PHOTOS: A Peek Inside the Kroger Estate

By Mary Casey-Sturk | Indian Hill Living, September 2024

Currently for sale, the Kroger Estate at 9575 Cunningham Road, is located on 13 sprawling acres and has 8 bedrooms, an Italian-inspired guest house with a domed ceiling, ornate woodwork, and many original features from when it was constructed in 1928. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as the Gretchen Kroger Barnes Graf House in February 2011 and it is also listed as a Historic Landmark by the Indian Hill Historical Society.

Built by Bernard H. “Barney” Kroger for his daughter, Gretchen Kroger Barnes Graf and her husband Bruno. We’ll peek inside the house and share a little history.

Barney Kroger

The son of German immigrants, Kroger (1860-1938) worked hard in his youth and was one of ten children living above his parents’ dry goods store in Over the Rhine.

Kroger’s website shares, “in 1883, Barney Kroger used his life savings to open his first grocery store in downtown Cincinnati. However, his humble beginnings didn’t last long. Thanks to hard work, attention to detail and consistent service to his customers, the Kroger brand quickly spread – and just 25 years after opening his first store, Kroger had more than 100 locations.”  

“With customers at the center of everything he did – Barney Kroger was revolutionizing the grocery experience. He baked his own bread, so he could pass the savings along to his customers – and for convenience, he was the first to put a butcher shop inside a grocery store.”

Kroger continued to improve the shopping experience and introduced the low-cost grocery chain model that exists today. He and his first wife, Mary Emily Jansen, had 7 children, including daughter Gretchen for whom this house was built.  Both Barney and Mary are buried at Spring Grove Cemetery. Gretchen was born on February 21, 1898, and died in her home on Cunningham Road on Christmas Day 1956, having raised her family in this estate. She was laid to rest at Indian Hill Episcopal Presbyterian Churchyard (6000 Drake Road-also known as Indian Hill Church Burial Ground).

The House

Listed with Sibcy Cline agents Renie Dohrmann and Ted Dohrmann, the description also shares:  Colonial Revival in style, it features carved 18^th-century mantels, custom lighting and chandeliers, hand-crafted wrought iron doors, random-plank wood floors, gallery hallways and floor-to-ceiling bookcases. The property has a total of 8 bedrooms and 7 full baths, there is also a 4-car garage topped by an apartment. 

Dotting the grounds are numerous sculptures, heirloom trees, a one-acre lake with a fountain and dock, woodlands, and garden terraces.

Agent Renie Dohrmann adds, “(this is a) fabulous historic Indian Hill property in the most stunning setting! So private, so peaceful! A surprise Italian-inspired villa guest house is the piece-de-resistance.”

See the full listing and photos by visiting the Sibcy Cline website here.

(All photos provided by Sibcy Cline agents Renie Dohrmann and Ted Dohrmann)