Balch House (Cincinnati, Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Balch House
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Front of the house
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 267 Greendale Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio |
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| Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1896 |
| Architect | Samuel Hannaford & Sons |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| MPS | Samuel Hannaford and Sons TR in Hamilton County |
| NRHP reference No. | 80003036 |
| Added to NRHP | March 3, 1980 |
The Balch House is a special old house in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It is located on Greendale Avenue in the Clifton neighborhood. This house has two and a half stories. It was built mostly in the beautiful Queen Anne style.
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Who Built the Balch House?
In 1892, a man named George Balch moved to Clifton. He was an important leader at the Cincinnati, Hamilton, and Dayton Railroad. Four years later, in 1896, Mr. Balch decided to build his own home.
He chose a very famous architect named Samuel Hannaford. Hannaford was well-known in Cincinnati for designing many large, fancy houses. He designed homes for people in rich neighborhoods like Clifton. The Balch House was one of the last homes Hannaford designed before he retired in 1897.
What Does the Balch House Look Like?
The Balch House is built with strong materials. Its walls are made of brick and stucco, which is a type of plaster. The house sits on a solid stone foundation. The roof is covered with slate tiles.
Unique Architectural Features
One of the most interesting parts of the house is the large gable on the front. A gable is the triangular part of a wall under a sloping roof. This large gable sits above a big porch. The porch is supported by brick pedestals.
You can enter the house through a fancy doorway. This entrance is under a smaller, decorated gable. On the western side of the house, there is another large gable, similar to the one on the front. The house's overall shape, or floor plan, looks like the letter "L."
Why Is the Balch House Important?
In 1980, the Balch House was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a special list of buildings, sites, and objects that are important to American history. The Balch House was added because its old architecture was very well-preserved.
Many other buildings in Cincinnati were also added to the Register at the same time. These were all buildings designed by Samuel Hannaford. This shows how important Hannaford's work was to the history of Cincinnati's architecture.
