The only person to serve as both President of the United States and Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court was from here in Ohio. William Howard Taft was a lawyer who was friends with Teddy Roosevelt, served as Secretary of War and the 27th President. But the job he longed for and worked for throughout his career was that of Chief Justice, a position he held from 1921 – 1930.
If you enjoy historic homes and Presidential history, you’ll learn about these things and more at the William Howard Taft National Historic Site in Cincinnati. He was born in this Greek Revival house high atop Mt. Auburn overlooking the town.
Taft gets a bad wrap because a vicious rumor was spread that he once got stuck in a White House bath tub. While a bit portly, the story isn’t true. What is true is that he was a career public servant who the museum refers to as a “Gentle Giant.”
They tell the story of his life through the restored home that includes some museum space with signage, photos, artifacts and audio clips. I really want a desk like this!
Touring this home is free, it’s well done and absolutely worth a stop if you’re in the neighborhood. Go at Christmas to see it decorated for the holidays.!
Want to visit? Learn more here!!!
If you’re a history buff, a fascinating site for Ohio Presidential history can be found in Cincinnati. Here, the National Parks Service operates President William Howard Taft’s boyhood home for tours.
The tour guide was informative and a good storyteller. As historic homes go, I don’t recall there being anything extraordinary about this particular Greek Revival home but the stories that accompany it as the boyhood home of one of our Presidents makes it well worth your time.
Ohio has contributed to the brotherhood of the Presidency eight men, more presidents than any other state. Sadly, we didn’t learn much about any of the eight in school and my knowledge of President Taft was tragically limited before visiting here.