Carew in 1914, the building was purchased by a real estate corporation founded by Cincinnati industrialist Thomas Emery.

[14] Construction began in September 1929, just one month before the stock market crash on October 24 that triggered the Great Depression.

[16] Art Deco stylistic motifs can be found throughout the building, particularly in the metalwork and areas surrounding the elevators and lights.

Sculpture on the exterior and interior of the building were executed by New York City architectural sculptor Rene Paul Chambellan.

[20] Today, the building is home to a mixed group of tenants, including a shopping arcade, Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, and offices.

Because of its architectural standards, as well as its identity with the city's heritage, Carew Tower was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994.

[1] In November 2023, wind hit scaffolding while the building was undergoing renovation, causing bricks to fall from the tower.

The original concept was a development that would include a department store, a theater, an office accommodation, and a hotel to rival the Waldorf-Astoria.

The building was originally designed with three towers: the tallest housing offices, the second the hotel, and the third serving as a parking garage which had an elevator rather than traditional ramps for access.