Annie Sinton-Taft
Annie Sinton-Taft | |
|---|---|
 Anna Sinton Taft | |
| Born | Anna March 12, 1852 |
| Died | January 31, 1931 (aged 78) |
Resting place | Spring Grove Cemetery |
| Spouse | Charles Phelps Taft (married 1873) |
| Children |
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| Parents |
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Annie Sinton Taft was a prominent socialite, heiress and philanthropist within 20th century Cincinnati. Her art collection and house make up the modern Taft Museum of Art, and her inheritance made her the richest woman in Ohio.[1]
Early Life
[edit]Annie Taft was born Anna Sinton on March 12th, 1852 in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was born to industrialist and pig iron stockpiler David Sinton[2]
She had one brother, Edward M. Sinton. [3]
Marriage and Inheritance
[edit]Anna married Charles Phelps Taft in 1873, taking his surname. They were married in her father's home.[4] Charles was part of the Taft family, and had recently graduated from Yale and Columbia[5], only boosting her social status.
Annie's brother Edward had died in 1869[6], making her the sole heir to her father's fortune. When her father died in 1900, he left her $20 million dollars (the equivalent of $786,221,428.57 in 2026[7]), and his house. This inheritance made her the wealthiest woman in Ohio.[1][8]
The money later went towards funding the couple's art collections, expansions to their home, and financing William Howard Taft's presidential campaign.[4]
Art Collection
[edit]Charles and Annie first began collecting art in 1902, during a trip to New York.
Over the course of 30 years, the Taft's collection of art grew to a size that came to rival other private collections in America. Their collection of paintings mainly focused on old master landscapes and portraiture by Dutch, French, and English artists (such as Rembrandt, Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, Frans Hals, J. M. W. Turner, Willem Maris, John Singer Sargent, and Charles-François Daubigny) but also included works from local Cincinnati artists such as; Frank Duveneck and Henry Farny.
Other pieces in their collection included Chinese porcelains and snuff-boxes attributed to the House of Fabergé.
Ultimately, the Taft family wanted their collection to be publicly accessible. Because of this, they pledged their residence and art collection to public museum upon their deaths, and included funds towards its establishment and care in their will. This resulted in the creation in the Taft Museum of Art, upon Annie's death in 1931.[4][9][10]
Notable Pieces
[edit]- Their collection was home to numerous notable pieces, so this is not an exhaustive list
-
Robert Louis Stevenson, John Singer Sargent -
A Man Rising From His Chair, Rembrandt -
The Cobbler's Apprentice, Frank Duveneck -
William Howard Taft, Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida
Later Life
[edit]
Annie Taft's later life was marked with the construction of the Cincinnati Times-Star Building, increased philanthropy, and the death of her husband in 1929.
Death
[edit]Annie died on March 12, 1931, in her family's home.
She is buried at Spring Grove Cemetery. [2]
Personal Life
[edit]Philanthrophy
[edit]Throughout her life, Annie engaged in numerous philanthropic efforts. Many of them were focused on promoting or saving the arts in Cincinnati. These included:
- donating $75,000 to construct a home for the University of Cincinnati College of Law[11]
- giving UC $2,000,000 to endow the Charles Phelps Taft Memorial Fund, which supports studies in humanities, languages, economics and mathematics[12]
- helped in the founding of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra[13], and helped establish the Cincinnati Opera[14]
- buying the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden for $250,000, saving it from financial demise[15]
- Advocating for a public art museum through the Women’s Art Museum Association[16]
- helped in the founding of the Cincinnati MacDowell Society[17]
Descendents
[edit]Through her daughter Jane, she was the grandmother of First World War flying ace David Sinton Ingalls (1899–1985), who married Louise Hale Harkness, daughter of William L. Harkness and granddaughter of Daniel M. Harkness, who was instrumental in the formation of Standard Oil.[18] She was also the grandmother of Anne Taft Ingalls, who married Rupert E. L. Warburton, "a scion of one of England's oldest families," in 1929.[19]
Sources
[edit]- ^ a b "Lynne Ambrosini, Chief Curator, The Taft Museum - Aeqai". 2011-10-15. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ a b "Sinton Family Trees - Details of Anne Sinton, daughter of David Sinton and Jane Ellison, Born 1852, Died 1931". www.sinton-family-trees.com. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "Sinton Family Trees - Details of David Sinton of Cincinnati, son of John Sinton and Mary McDonnell, Born 1808, Died 1900". www.sinton-family-trees.com. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ a b c "The Other Mr. Taft's White House | Observer Articles". socialregisteronline. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ Cutter, William Richard (1914). New England families, genealogical and memorial; a record of the achievements of her people in the making of commonwealths and the founding of a nation;. Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center. New York, Lewis historical Pub. Co.
- ^ "Sinton Family Trees - Details of Edward M. Sinton, son of David Sinton and Jane Ellison, Born 1848, Died 1869". www.sinton-family-trees.com. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "$20,000,000 in 1900 → 2026 | Inflation Calculator". In 2013 Dollars. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "OHIO'S RICHEST MAN DEAD.; David Sinton Leaves $20,000,000 to His Daughter" (PDF). The New York Times. September 1, 1900. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- ^ "Mr. and Mrs. Charles Phelps Taft · Documenting the Gilded Age Highlights · Documenting the Gilded Age: New York City Exhibitions at the Turn of the 20th Century: Phase II". gildedage2.omeka.net. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "About the Museum". Taft Museum of Art. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "The Taft influence". University of Cincinnati. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ Times, Special to The New York (1930-05-07). "Mrs. Charles P. Taft Gives $2,000,000 to Aid 'Humanities' Study as Memorial to Husband". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ Tjepkema, Thea (January 2020). "The Founding Women". Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
- ^ "Music in Cincinnati Cincinnati Opera at Music Hall". www.musicincincinnati.com. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ Charlson, Christine; Contributor, WCPO (2015-09-18). "INTERACTIVE: 140 years of the Cincinnati Zoo". WCPO 9 Cincinnati. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
{{cite web}}:|last2=has generic name (help) - ^ "The Tafts and Cincinnati Art | More to Discover at the Taft Museum of Art". Taft Museum of Art. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "https://cincymacdowell.square.site/history". cincymacdowell.square.site. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
{{cite web}}: External link in|title= - ^ "Milestones, Feb. 9, 1931". Time Magazine. February 9, 1931. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ^ Times, Special to The New York (1929-04-11). "ANNE TAFT INGALLS WED IN CLEVELAND; Chief Justice's Great-Niece Is Married to Rupert E.L. Warburton. KEEPS "OBEY" IN SERVICE Audrie M. Meyer Becomes Bride Here of Werner A. Gunther, a German Flier in War". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-04-29.