William Howard Taft N.H.S.: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, William Howard Taft National Historic Site
Regions 3, 4, & 5 Park Cultural Landscapes Program. 2008. William Howard Taft N.H.S.: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, William Howard Taft National Historic Site. Cultural Landscapes Inventory Report. 500721. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. NPS Midwest Regional Office, Omaha, Nebraska / CRIS-CL Database
Inventory Unit Description: The restored vernacular landscape and structures of 60 Auburn Avenue in Cincinnati, Ohio are the primary physical resources associated with the family and childhood of William Howard Taft, 27th President of the United States. In 1969 the property was designated the William Howard Taft National Historic Site and the National Park Service acquired the property. The primary purpose of the Taft house is to serve as an historic museum and the National Park Service continues the process of restoring the house to reflect the time period of Taft family occupation c. 1851-1877. The significance of William Howard Taft National Historic Site is derived from the time of William Howard Taft’s boyhood in Cincinnati, Ohio where his family and social environment molded his character and philosophy which was reflected in his later years of public service. The focus of the site is intended to highlight the influences of William’s early years. The period of significance ended in 1877 when a fire destroyed much of the second story and repairs and major remodeling were done to the house. William Howard Taft and other family members owned and lived in the Auburn Avenue house several years after the end date of the period of significance. The Taft family’s property demonstrated qualities of both rural and urban landscapes. Historic landscape research indicates that the landscape surrounding the front of the Taft house, its yard, walks, and street elevation, is typical of many which might be found in the residential districts of a city. The components of such landscapes include simple but tasteful plantings at the edges of modest (but comfortable) lawns, which were dotted with trees. The front or “urbanized” part of the Taft landscape shows its conformance to the dignity of the neighborhood, through ordered herringbone patterned brick walks; tasteful flowers and shrubs; a decorative iron fence atop a low, dressed stone wall; and a single, ornamental urn.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Regions 3, 4, & 5 Park Cultural Landscapes Program
- Date of Issue
- 2008-09-12
- Publisher
- U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
- Units
- MWR , WIHO
- Keywords
- birthplace, hilltop location, house museum, National Historic Landmark, Ohio, Politics-Government, president, restoration, single-family dwelling, The Progressive Era 1901-1914, William Howard Taft