Explore Ohio's presidential history sites

Ohio’s cultural, economic and geographic diversity make it a key target for U.S. presidential aspirants. The state has long played a leading part in presidential politics dating back to the Victorian and Progressive eras, when it was a virtual prerequisite for the president to be an Ohioan.

Seven presidents were born in Ohio: Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft and Warren G. Harding.

William Henry Harrison, grandfather of Benjamin Harrison, was born in Virginia but lived in Ohio at the time of his election and is buried there.

In total, eight Ohioans came from Ohio at the time of their elections, giving rise to the sobriquet “Mother of Presidents. (Virginia also is known as the mother of presidents because eight U.S. presidents were born there.)

Here are 10 places where visitors will discover Ohio’s pivotal role in presidential heritage and modern-day politics:

1. National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton
Air Force One has been the setting for some of the most pivotal moments in modern American history. In Ohio, visitors can board the plane that carried President John F. Kennedy’s body to Washington after his assassination and stand where Lyndon B. Johnson stood while being sworn in as president.

At Dayton’s National Museum of the United States Air Force on Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Air Force One and eight more presidential aircraft are on display, including the plane Franklin Roosevelt used to travel to the Yalta conference near the end of WWII. Aboard the same plane, Harry Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947, which created the Air Force.

www.nationalmuseum.af.mil

2. James A. Garfield National Historic Site, Mentor
For an in-depth look at the day-to-day life of a man who would become president, travelers can visit Lawnfield, the home of President James A. Garfield. The expertly restored site includes the house and front porch from which Garfield campaigned for the presidency, a windmill, a visitors’ center and a museum.

Visitors of all ages will enjoy periodic special programs, including behind-the-scenes tours, Victorian crafting classes and lectures about Garfield. Guests also enjoy the fun, interactive “Presidential Squares,” in which presidential impersonators assist in an oversized game of tic-tac-toe trivia.

www.nps.gov/jaga

3. Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, Fremont
After his presidency, Hayes and his wife retired to Spiegel Grove, a 31-room mansion in northwest Ohio. The house is outfitted with many of its original furnishings. A museum displaying artifacts from Hayes’ Civil War and presidential careers is located adjacent to the house, and his burial site also is at the estate.

The original gates from the White House guard the entrance to Spiegel Grove. In addition, special events held throughout the year help visitors immerse themselves in the presidential history of the Victorian era. Horse-drawn carriages and sleighs escort guests on tours of the grounds. A Victorian Christmas dinner is held annually and lectures on the presidency are presented by nationally prominent scholars.

www.rbhayes.org/hayes/hayeshouse

4. National First Ladies’ Library, Canton
It’s hard to celebrate Presidents Day without considering the contributions of America’s first ladies. The National First Ladies’ Library is housed in the Victorian home of Ida Saxton McKinley, wife of President William McKinley.

Visitors will find numerous biographical resources about each of the American first ladies, as well as other prominent women in American society. Artifacts from these groundbreaking women also are on display, including gowns and an exhibit detailing the suffragist movement.

www.firstladies.org

5. Ulysses S. Grant Schoolhouse and Boyhood Home, both in Georgetown
Civil War General and U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant was born and grew up along the northern bank of the Ohio River. The river served as the boundary between slavery in Kentucky and freedom in Ohio, and the proximity to the tragedy of slavery contributed to Grant’s dedication to protecting African Americans’ civil rights during his presidency.

Grant’s schoolhouse at Georgetown, open to visitors, was just one room when Grant attended. His home is decorated in the style of the 1830s and 1840s and displays many of the Grant family’s original furnishings.

http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/places/sw09

6. William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum, Canton
William McKinley’s presidency is regarded as one of the most successful, if under-appreciated. He led the nation out of recession, asserted American military power in the Spanish-American War and formed policy to incorporate millions of new immigrants into the booming economy. McKinley’s life and his term were cut short by an assassin’s bullet, however, in 1901.

The William McKinley Presidential Library contains photographs, letters and other objects from McKinley’s life. The nearby McKinley National Memorial houses the remains of the McKinley family in a double-domed mausoleum made of multi-colored granite and includes a bronze statue of the president.

7. Fort Meigs State Memorial, Perrysburg
During the War of 1812, the fate of American independence was uncertain when the British attacked Ohio from their bases in Canada. General William Henry Harrison, an Ohio native and future U.S. president, repelled their siege of Fort Meigs. The victory stood as a testament to Harrison’s military maneuvering and leadership prowess, which paved the way for his eventual election as president.

At a strategic point along the Maumee River, the 10-acre stockade fort has been reconstructed and offers a new museum that houses original artifacts from the battle, including diaries, weapons, uniforms and maps.

www.fortmeigs.org

8. Harding Home State Memorial, Marion
Campaigning from the porch of his Marion, Ohio, home, Warren G. Harding coasted his way into the White House in the only presidential election to pit an Ohioan against an Ohioan. Though Harding’s administration was plagued by scandals, it represented a golden age in American culture – women were enjoying new civil rights and the economy was booming.

The Victorian Harding Home was built in 1891 and still contains most of the president’s original furnishings. The nearby Harding Memorial contains the remains of Harding and his wife, Florence. The tomb is a majestic circular monument made of white Georgia marble built in the neo-classical style. The stately monument is a great place to ponder the meteoric rise and fall of this enigmatic president.

http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/places/c03

9. Taft Museum of Art, Cincinnati
President William Howard Taft accepted his nomination as a presidential candidate from the porch of his brother’s elegant Cincinnati home. Taft went on win the election of 1908 handily and served as chief justice of the Supreme Court after his presidency.

The house, built in 1820 in the Palladian style, is now open to the public as a top-ranked small art museum. Much of the Taft family’s collection of American and European master paintings is on display and the foyer is embellished with pre-Civil War murals.

www.taftmuseum.org

10. Golden Lamb Inn, Lebanon
Few places in America can claim the 200-year history and political importance of the Golden Lamb Inn. Visited by 12 U.S. Presidents, from John Quincy Adams to George W. Bush, the inn continues to offer rooms to travelers.

Guests can stay in rooms and dine in a restaurant that once served these men, as well as luminaries such as orator Daniel Webster and author Charles Dickens. The fourth story features several museum rooms dedicated to the Shaker culture. A prominent Shaker settlement existed nearby in the 19th century.

www.goldenlamb.com

Discover Ohio
www.DiscoverOhio.com