Taft Museum - Cincinnati, Ohio
Posted by: Groundspeak Charter Member BruceS
N 39° 06.117 W 084° 30.184
16S E 715917 N 4331058
Great art museum in a historic Federal style mansion in Cincinnati.
Waymark Code: WM3R3G
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 05/08/2008
Published By:Groundspeak Regular Member JimmyEv
Views: 83

Taft Museum

The Taft Museum, 316 Pike St., built in 1819-20, is an elegant white frame mansion comprising a 2-story center unit flanked by single-story wings.  Architects consider it one of the Nation's finest examples of Early Federal style of architecture.  The center unit is fronted by a gracious portico, with Tuscan pillars, that is reached by sandstone steps having a curred iron railing.  A high basement with grilled windows extends the length of the house.

The mansion was built for Martin Baum, early Cincinnati capitalist, who in 1825 was forced to transfer title to the property to his own bank.  For a time the Belmont School, a female seminary, operated here; then, in 1830, Nicholas Longworth, I bought the property.  The Longworth family sold the house to David Sinton in 1871; following marriage of Anna Sinton to Charles Phelps Taft in 1873, it became the taft home.

For more than a century socialite Cincinnatians and many artist, writers, and musicians came here to attend receptions, dinners, musicales, and balls.  Often the guest of honor was a notable.  At one time or another Robert Owen; Frances Trollope;  Bernhard, Duke of Saxe-Weimar; William Henry Harrison, Albert, King of Belgians, and Cardinal Mercier were guests.  It was on the portico steps that William Howard Taft, half-brother of Charles Phelps Taft, was notified of his nomination for the Presidency in 1908.

in 1927 the Cincinnati Institute of Fine Arts was formed at the suggestion of Mrs. Charles Phelps Taft and Mr. and Mrs. Taft announced that they would give their home and art collection to the people of Cincinnati, if certain requirements were fulfilled.  These were met; the house was restored on the basis of  an 1857 color print; and drapes, andirons, fenders and reproductions of the original carpets were installed to recreate the atmosphere of a fine, early-nineteenth century American home.  ON November 29, 1932, the Taft Museum was formally opened to the public.

The halls and 13 of the mansion's 30 rooms hold exhibits, the remaining rooms being used for assembly, service and storage purposes.  A lecture room in the basement seats 100 persons.  The Taft art collection, tastefully arranged in the handsome rooms and hallways, comprised about 100 oil paintings by French, English, Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, and American artists;  some ceramics; French enamels from the thirteenth to seventeenth centuries; Italian majolicas; sixteenth-century crystals and jewelry; about 200 Chinese vases and porcelains; and a fascinating collection of watches dating from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries.

 ~ from Cincinnati: A Guide to the Queen City and Its Neighbors, 1943, Tour 3, pg. 165-166

The Taft Museum continues as one of the finest small art museums in America.  From the museum's website "the Taft is home to an extensive art collection that includes European and American master paintings, Chinese porcelains, and European decorative arts. See major works by Rembrandt, Hals, Goya, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Turner, Ingres, Whistler, and Sargent, as well as the greatest Gothic sculpture in America."

The museum underwent a $20 million renovation and expansion in 2004.  The museum is listed as National Historic Landmark. The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 

Admission (includes parking):

Adults $8
Seniors 60 and over $6
Students over 18 $6
Youth 18 and under Free

The Museum is free to all on Wednesdays.

Book: Cincinnati

Page Number(s) of Excerpt: 165-166

Year Originally Published: 1943

Visit Instructions:
To log a Visit, please supply an original image of the Waymark.

Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest American Guide Series
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
There are no logs for this waymark yet.