{"nrhp_refnum":"73001467","name":"Sacred Heart Academy","other_names":["Neff Castle"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"525 Lafayette St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Cincinnati","county":"Hamilton County","state":"OH","lat":39.15306381500005,"lon":-84.52715797599996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1973-04-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A large castle-style stone residence turned convent school complex at 525 Lafayette Avenue in Clifton, Cincinnati, Ohio, begun about 1867-1868 as the home of William C. Neff and expanded with later additions.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the original building is a modified version of Kenilworth Castle in England, with extensive hand-carved woodwork by Swiss craftsmen. It is also tied to local history through its long use by the Academy of the Sacred Heart from 1876 until the school closed in 1970.","narrative":"Built around 1867-1868 for William C. Neff, this rambling ashlar stone residence in Cincinnati's Clifton neighborhood was modeled on England's Kenilworth Castle. It has two- and three-story sections, a four-story tower, pointed arch openings, gabled and dormered roofs, and a rear verandah with French doors. Swiss craftsmen spent two years carving the wood entrance portal and interior woodwork. The property occupies a site beside Mt. Storm Park overlooking the Mill Creek Valley. In 1876 the Academy of the Sacred Heart moved to the estate and added buildings in 1882, 1887, 1893 and 1915, including a limestone chapel from 1887. Rising costs and falling enrollment closed the school in 1970, and its furniture and equipment were auctioned. Later paperwork clarified that the listed area covers the whole complex, with the boundary expanded from three to nine acres. The property was listed for its architecture and its place in local history.","period_of_significance":"19th Century (specific date ca. 1868)","architect_builder":"Original owner William C. Neff; the 1887 chapel is attributed to Samuel Hannaford (architect), builder unknown","architectural_style":"English medieval castle style (modified Kenilworth Castle); chapel with Gothic influences","criteria":[],"status_note":"Vacant after the Academy closed in 1970; the nomination describes its future as uncertain. Condition listed as good and altered.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:09.330429-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/73001467.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/73001467/a966b7df3b-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/73001467/a966b7df3b-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"Photo by Greg Hume (Greg5030)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HewsonGuttingLR.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Photo by Greg Hume (Greg5030)</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HewsonGuttingLR.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71985366","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Heart_Academy_(Cincinnati,_Ohio)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7397097"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/hamilton-county/sacred-heart-academy-73001467/"}