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Balch House (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Encyclopedia
The Balch House is a historic house in Cincinnati, Ohio
, United States
. Located along Greendale Avenue in that city's Clifton neighborhood, it is a two-and-a-half-story
building constructed primarily in the Queen Anne
style of architecture.
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
. 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. The Balch House was one of Hannaford's last residences in the area, for he retired in 1897.
Built of brick and stucco
on a stone foundation, the Balch House is covered by a slate
roof. Among its the distinctive architectural features is the large gable
on the front, which rises above a large frame
porch that rests on brick pedestal
s. 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."
In 1980, the Balch House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
because of its well-preserved historic architecture. 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.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located along Greendale Avenue in that city's Clifton neighborhood, it is a two-and-a-half-story
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
building constructed primarily in the Queen Anne
Queen Anne Style architecture (United States)
In America, the Queen Anne style of architecture, furniture and decorative arts was popular in the United States from 1880 to 1910. In American usage "Queen Anne" is loosely used of a wide range of picturesque buildings with "free Renaissance" details rather than of a specific formulaic style in...
style of architecture.
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
Samuel Hannaford
Samuel Hannaford was an American architect based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Some of the best known landmarks in the city, such as Music Hall and City Hall, were of his design...
. Balch was one of many Clifton residents to commission designs from Hannaford: having built a reputation as one of Cincinnati's premier Gilded Age
Gilded Age
In United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...
architects, Hannaford had designed large numbers of houses for the residents of upscale neighborhoods such as Clifton. The Balch House was one of Hannaford's last residences in the area, for he retired in 1897.
Built of brick and stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
on a stone foundation, the Balch House is covered by a slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roof. Among its the distinctive architectural features is the large gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
on the front, which rises above a large frame
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
porch that rests on brick pedestal
Pedestal
Pedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
s. 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
Floor plan
In architecture and building engineering, a floor plan, or floorplan, is a diagram, usually to scale, showing a view from above of the relationships between rooms, spaces and other physical features at one level of a structure....
of the house is the shape of an "L."
In 1980, the Balch House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
because of its well-preserved historic architecture. 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.