Notable people · Business
Nicholas Longworth
New Jersey-born lawyer, real-estate holder and winemaker who made Cincinnati a wine center with Catawba grapes, producing America's first notable sparkling Catawba. He is buried at Spring Grove Cemetery; his Greek Revival house is now the Taft Museum of Art.
At a glance
- Born
- 1783-01-16
- Died
- 1863-02-10
- Known as
- Business
- Organizations
- Longworth
Life story
Nicholas Longworth was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1783 and moved to Cincinnati in 1804, where he studied law under Jacob Burnet.
He married Susanna Howell in 1807. He often took land as legal fees and by 1818 was rich enough from rising Cincinnati property values to quit law and manage real estate.
He planted Catawba grapes on Mount Adams hillsides and made still and sparkling wines in the champagne style; he is called the father of American grape culture, and Longfellow wrote a poem about Catawba wine.
He supported artists such as Robert S. Duncanson, gave land for the Cincinnati Observatory, and helped enslaved people. His Greek Revival house is the Taft Museum of Art. He died in 1863 and is buried in Spring Grove.
Timeline
- 1783-01-16: Born in Newark, New Jersey (Newark, NJ) source
- 1804: Moves to Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1807-12-24: Marries Susanna Howell (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1818: Leaves law for real estate (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1830: Begins making Catawba wines (1830s-1850s) (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1863-02-10: Dies at 80; buried at Spring Grove (Cincinnati, OH) source
What Nicholas is known for
- Pioneer of American winemaking with Catawba grapes (sparkling Catawba, 1842)
- Arts patron (Robert S. Duncanson, Hiram Powers)
- Mount Adams vineyards (site now Eden Park)
- Commissioned Duncanson murals
Honors and things named for them
- Called the Father of American Grape Culture
- Longfellow poem 'Ode to Catawba Wine'
Family
- wife: Susanna Howell
- son: Joseph Longworth
- daughter: Catharine Longworth Anderson
Places in Ohio to see
- Taft Museum of Art (museum)
316 Pike St, Cincinnati, Hamilton County ZIP 45202 · Cincinnati · Hamilton County · official page - Spring Grove Cemetery (grave)
4521 Spring Grove Ave, Cincinnati, Hamilton County ZIP 45232 · Cincinnati · Hamilton County
Ohio places
Where Nicholas Longworth was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Worked: Cincinnati, Hamilton County ZIP 45202 · Cincinnati · Hamilton County
- Lived: Cincinnati (Taft Museum of Art, former Longworth house), Hamilton County ZIP 45202 · Cincinnati · Hamilton County
- Buried: Cincinnati (Spring Grove Cemetery), Hamilton County (4521 Spring Grove Ave) ZIP 45232 · Cincinnati · Hamilton County
Myths and corrections
- Said to have inspired Uncle Tom's Cabin; Wikipedia says only 'allegedly'.
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Nicholas Longworth (winemaker) (Wikipedia, pointer) dates, Spring Grove, Catawba, arts patronage, Taft house