William Howard Taft National Historic Site facts for kids
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William Howard Taft National Historic Site
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Taft House
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2038 Auburn Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio |
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| Area | 3 acres (12,140 m²) |
| Built | 1842 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Visitation | 14,328 (2005) |
| Website | William Howard Taft National Historic Site |
| Part of | Mount Auburn Historic District (ID73001464) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000612 (original) 15000753 (increase) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Boundary increase | October 21, 2015 |
| Designated NHL | January 29, 1964 |
| Designated NHS | December 2, 1969 |
| Designated CP | March 28, 1973 |
The William Howard Taft National Historic Site is a special house in Cincinnati, Ohio. It's located in the Mount Auburn Historic District, about a mile north of downtown. This house is important because it was the birthplace and childhood home of William Howard Taft. He later became the 27th President of the United States and the 10th Chief Justice of the United States. The house itself is a two-story building built around 1835 in the Greek Revival style.
Contents
The Taft Family Home
Who was William Howard Taft?
William Howard Taft was a very important person in American history. He is the only person to have served as both the President of the United States and the Chief Justice of the United States. He was born in this house in 1857.
How the Tafts Came to Cincinnati
William Howard Taft's father, Alphonso Taft, moved to Cincinnati from Vermont in 1838. He wanted to start his own law practice there. About ten years later, Alphonso moved his family into this house. He became an early supporter of the Republican Party in Cincinnati. Alphonso lived here with his family and his own parents. He later served as the 31st United States Secretary of War and the 35th United States Attorney General.
Life in the House
The house was bought by Alphonso Taft in 1851 for $10,000. It came with about 1.82 acres of land. The Mount Auburn area was a popular place for wealthy Cincinnati families to live. It offered a cooler escape from the hot summer weather downtown. The Taft house was built in the Greek Revival style. It was simpler than some of the grander homes nearby.
Alphonso's first wife, Fanny Phelps Taft, passed away in 1852, a year after they moved in. In 1853, Alphonso married Louise Taft, a schoolteacher from Massachusetts. William Howard Taft was born in this house on September 15, 1857. He was Louise's second child. Alphonso had six children living in the house at this time.
The house was a lively place and often hosted social events. Many important local and state leaders visited, including future President James A. Garfield. The family often rolled up the rugs in the parlor for dancing. The library was a favorite spot for family activities. Alphonso loved collecting books, and his library was a special room.
Leaving the Family Home
William Howard Taft lived in the house until he went to Yale University in 1874. After that, the Taft family spent less time there. This started when Alphonso served in the Ulysses S. Grant administration. In 1877, a fire damaged the second floor and roof of the house.
Alphonso and Louise leased the house in 1889. They moved to California because the climate was thought to be better for their health. William had married in 1886, and his brothers had also moved out. Alphonso passed away in San Diego, California in 1891. His funeral gathering was held at the Auburn house. Louise tried to sell the house for ten years. She finally sold it in 1899 to Judge Albert C. Thompson.
The House After the Tafts
After the Taft family sold the house, some changes were made. The front porch was removed and replaced with a different one. A conservatory (a type of greenhouse) was added, and some other small buildings were torn down.
In 1937, a group called the William Howard Taft Memorial Association was formed. They hoped to buy the house and preserve it. However, William's son, Robert Taft, felt it might look like they were trying to gain political advantage. So, the association didn't get the support they needed to buy the house at that time.
In the 1940s, the building was used as apartments. The owner even thought about selling it to become a funeral parlor. Later, with Charles Phelps Taft II (another of William's sons) leading the effort, the William Howard Taft Memorial Association finally bought the house in 1953. They paid $35,000 for it.
By 1961, the house was in poor condition and needed a lot of work to fix it up. In 1964, it was recognized as a National Historic Landmark. A special ceremony was held on September 15, 1964, which was William's 107th birthday.
The association fully owned the house by 1968. In 1969, they gave it to the National Park Service. The National Park Service now manages the site as a historic house museum. This means the house will be taken care of for the future. The United States government officially took ownership on November 1, 1970. Letters and diary entries written by Louise Taft helped people restore the house to how it looked when William was a child.
Visiting Today
The William Howard Taft National Historic Site has two main buildings for visitors.
The Historic Taft Home
The first building is the original home where William Howard Taft grew up. It has been carefully restored to look just as it did when William lived there. Many of the family portraits and books on display actually belonged to the Taft family. The first floor has five rooms that have been restored. These include William's birthplace and four other rooms that show what life was like back then. The furniture in these rooms is from that time period, but it didn't all belong to the Tafts. The second floor of the house has exhibits that show William's many achievements.
The Taft Education Center
The second building is the National Historic Site's Visitor Center. It's officially called the Taft Education Center. Here, you'll find offices and a gift shop run by the National Park Service. There's also a cool exhibit with an audio-animatronic figure of William's son, Charles Phelps Taft II. This figure tells stories about his father and other family members while fishing. You can also watch a short film about William Howard Taft's life.
