Balch House (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Balch House
Front of the house
Location: 267 Greendale Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio
Area: less than one acre
Built: 1896
Architect: Samuel Hannaford & Sons
Architectural style: Queen Anne
Governing body: Private
MPS: Samuel Hannaford and Sons TR in Hamilton County
NRHP Reference#: 80003036[1]
Added to NRHP: March 3, 1980

The Balch House is a historic house in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Located along Greendale Avenue in that city's Clifton neighborhood,[1] it is a two-and-a-half-story building constructed primarily in the Queen Anne style of architecture.[2]:5

In 1892, Cincinnati, Hamilton, and Dayton Railroad executive George Balch moved to Clifton. Four years later, deciding to construct a house for himself, he chose renowned Cincinnati architect Samuel Hannaford.[3] Balch was one of many Clifton residents to commission designs from Hannaford: having built a reputation as one of Cincinnati's premier Gilded Age architects, Hannaford had designed large numbers of houses for the residents of upscale neighborhoods such as Clifton.[2]:10 The Balch House was one of Hannaford's last residences in the area, for he retired in 1897.[2]:11

Built of brick and stucco on a stone foundation, the Balch House is covered by a slate roof.[4] Among its the distinctive architectural features is the large gable on the front, which rises above a large frame porch that rests on brick pedestals. Individuals can enter the house through an ornate entrance located under a decorated smaller gable, while a large gable similar to that of the front crowns the house's western side. The overall floor plan of the house is the shape of an "L."[3]

In 1980, the Balch House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its well-preserved historic architecture.[1] Dozens of other Cincinnati buildings were added to the Register at the same time as part of a multiple property submission of buildings designed by Hannaford.[2]:3

References

  1. ^ a b c "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
  2. ^ a b c d Gordon, Stephen C., and Elisabeth H. Tuttle. National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Samuel Hannaford & Sons Thematic Resources. National Park Service, 1978-12-11. Accessed 2009-10-05.
  3. ^ a b Owen, Lorrie K., ed. Dictionary of Ohio Historic Places. Vol. 1. St. Clair Shores: Somerset, 1999, 562.
  4. ^ Balch House, Ohio Historical Society, 2007. Accessed 2010-10-05.