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John S. Baker House

Gothic Revival architecture in OhioHouses completed in 1854Houses in CincinnatiHouses on the National Register of Historic Places in OhioNational Register of Historic Places in Cincinnati
JohnBakerHouse
JohnBakerHouse

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) John S. Baker, who settled in Cincinnati in 1814.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. 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 crenallations, 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.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article John S. Baker House (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

John S. Baker House
Baker Place, Cincinnati East Walnut Hills

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 39.129166666667 ° E -84.467777777778 °
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Address

Baker Place 2717
45206 Cincinnati, East Walnut Hills
Ohio, United States
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Saint Francis De Sales Catholic Church (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Saint Francis De Sales Catholic Church (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Saint Francis De Sales Catholic Church is located at 2900 Woodburn Avenue in the East Walnut Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. The congregation was organized in 1849, and its first building was dedicated on November 3, 1850. The parish patron is Saint Francis de Sales. The cornerstone was laid June 30, 1878, by Archbishop John Baptist Purcell, in the presence of nearly 10,000 persons. The edifice was dedicated December 20, 1879. The interior contains one of the finest altars in the United States, costing $20,000. The parent parishes were St. Mary's Church in Over-the-Rhine and St. Paul Church in Pendleton. The original congregation was mostly German. The main altar at St. Francis de Sales was consecrated by Archbishop W.H. Elder on April 27, 1887. It was a gift of Joseph Kleine and his wife Agnes Kleine, and was sculpted by Fred and Henry Schroeder of Cincinnati from designs by A. Kloster of New York. The altar of pure white Rutland marble and the white marble floor cost $20,000. The altar's onyx pillars and delicate Gothic spires are flanked by statues of SS. Joseph and Agnes in honor of the donors' patron saints. The church is home to Joseph, aka "Big Joe", the largest swinging bell ever cast in the United States. VanDuzen Company (formerly Buckeye Bell Foundry) at Second and Broadway downtown. The bell measures 9 by 7 feet (2.7 m × 2.1 m) in diameter and height respectively; it weighs 35,000 pounds (16,000 kg), including a 640 pounds (290 kg) clapper. Named for the parishioner whose donation to the bell fund was the largest, the bell reputedly could be heard 15 miles (24 km) away when first rung, rattling nearby buildings and loosening stone & mortar. It was soon decided to immobilize the bell, and for more than a century "Big Joe" has relied on a foot hammer striking its rim. In early 1974, the church, its parish school, and its rectory were declared a historic district, the "St. Francis De Sales Church Historic District", and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Big Joe (bell)
Big Joe (bell)

Joseph (commonly known as Big Joe) is a bronze bell that hangs 125 feet (38 m) into the bell tower of Neo-Gothic Saint Francis De Sales Catholic Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. The endearing moniker Big Joe is a combination of the names of Joseph T. Buddeke, the largest donor of the project, and Big Ben, the great bell in the iconic Palace of Westminster clock tower in London.Measuring 7 feet (2.1 m) tall and with a diameter of 9 feet (2.7 m), the 17.5 ton bell is the largest swinging bell ever cast in the United States. It was cast on October 30, 1895 by the E. W. Van Duzen Company at their foundry on Second Street and Broadway. The massive bell was hauled by 12 horses up Gilbert Avenue, then down Madison Road to St. Frances de Sales in the neighborhood of East Walnut Hills.When first swung in January 1896, its deafening peal startled the Walnut Hills neighborhood and could be heard for 15 miles (24 km). According to some accounts, the resultant E♭ produced vibrations which shook the houses and buildings below and shattered nearby windows. However, a modern-day bell expert at Cincinnati-based The Verdin Company, foundry of the nearby and even larger World Peace Bell (which was cast in France), dismisses damage to window glass inflicted by Big Joe as a local legend with no historical basis. According to them, Big Joe was never swung again because of trembling in the bell tower and crumbing of mortar; the bell was simply too big for its tower.Following the bell's inaugural ring, the parish priests decreed the bell shall "remain immobile forever". The 640-pound (290 kg) clapper was not used again; today the bell is rung only with an oversized foot hammer tapping its rim.Big Joe is struck thrice daily at 6 am, 12 noon and 6 pm for Angelus, followed by the chiming of four smaller bells, known as the "ladies in waiting", resting above it.