John S. Baker House Explained

John S. Baker House
Location:1887 Madison Rd., Cincinnati, Ohio
Coordinates:39.1292°N -84.4678°W
Built:1854
Architect:James Keys Wilson
Architecture:Gothic Revival
Added:June 6, 1979
Refnum:79001852

The John S. Baker House is a historic house in the East Walnut Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Built in 1854 according to a design by Cincinnati architect James Keys Wilson, it was the home of New Jersey native (Wilson's uncle)[1] John S. Baker, who settled in Cincinnati in 1814.[2]

The Baker House is primarily a brick structure with some elements of weatherboarding; it rests on a stone foundation and is covered by a metal roof.[3] Its architecture is prominent in many ways, most significant of which are its overall style: no other large brick houses in the Cincinnati area feature such a distinctively Gothic Revival style. Many details produce the sense of a castle, such as its tower, its battlements and crenellations, and the decorations on the unusually placed and shaped windows. The appearance is further improved by the house's location: sitting atop a river bluff, it is visible from a great distance.

In 1979, the Baker House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its historically significant architecture. Included in the listing were two related buildings, a studio and residence for servants; they are located on the side of the bluff below the main house.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Selling Points . Cincinnati Magazine . Jun 2007 . 2013-05-06 . Ball, Jennifer . 88.
  2. Owen, Lorrie K., ed. Dictionary of Ohio Historic Places. Vol. 1. St. Clair Shores: Somerset, 1999, 562.
  3. , Ohio Historical Society, 2007. Accessed 2010-10-06.