27. William Taft
William Howard Taft was born September 15, 1857, in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father, Alphonso Taft, moved from Vermont to the growing river town in 1838 where he enjoyed success as a lawyer before serving as a judge, diplomat, and politician. In 1851, Alphonso Taft purchased a beautiful Greek-revival house in the Auburn Hills section of Cincinnati to house his growing family. William Howard Taft was born here to his father’s second wife, Fanny Phelps Taft. The future president was a good-natured, popular youth who excelled in school and developed a lifelong passion for baseball. The Tafts entertained frequent guests who discussed the political issues of the day, and the young Taft internalized his father’s Republican politics. The birthplace in Auburn Hills is now the William Howard Taft National Historic Site.
--Andrew B. Leiter
The Taft name has a rich history and long legacy in Cincinnati. The Taft Museum of Art is one of the most impressive museums one can find with its collection displayed in the rooms of the historic 1820s Federal villa with a long line of important and influential residents including President Taft's half-brother, Charles Phelps Taft. In 2012, we were lucky enough to be granted an exhibition at the Taft of the 7 Ohio presidents, Ohio to the White House. Thanks again to Tammy Muente for setting this up! The birth home is grand and has been faithfully restored from its days carved into rental apartments. My favorite image from the collection is the address numbers on the front fence column with all of the different numbers added and removed over the years, again referencing the passing of time which is integral to this project.
--Matthew Albritton