Who’s up for a road trip through hills and history?
Ohio is the birthplace of no less than seven presidents, eight if you include the Virginia-born William Henry Harrison who claimed Ohio as his homeland.
Throughout our great state are physical landmarks to the lawmakers of our past. If you’re looking for a summer road trip to remember, here are the top presidential sites to visit in the state.
Stop 1: Going Garfield
The first stop on the Ohio presidential road trip is in the northeast part of the state: Mentor. Visit the James A. Garfield National Historic Site, located at 8095 Mentor Ave., also known as Lawnfield. This site is where Ohio-born Garfield launched his political campaign and lived with his large family in the late 1800s.
Before he was elected the 20th president, Garfield served as a senator for the state of Ohio. His presidency is unfortunately best known for his assassination which occurred within the first six months of his term.
The site is open year-round. Pre-reservation is required for tours.
Stop 2: Making McKinley
Journey a few miles southeast for the next stop in the Cleveland area, at 40 N. Main St. in Niles, birthplace of 25th US President William McKinley.
If you’re a fan of Greek-style architecture, the National McKinley Birthplace Memorial is the place for you. The significance of the exact spot of the memorial goes back to the fact that McKinley attended a one-room schoolhouse previously on the same grounds. The marble swathing the building can be found in both the McKinley Memorial Library wing as well as the McKinley Museum and auditorium wing.
Stop 3: Hayes’ Haunt
Drive due west toward Fremont to make a stop at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museums. This stop includes the 19th president’s tomb and home, which includes the 25 acres of his estate and the addition to the home built to accommodate the first presidential library. The Hayes Museum also lies on the property.
Prior to his appointment as president, Hayes was elected to Congress but didn’t take his seat until the conclusion of the Civil War, during which he served as a major general. He was then elected governor of Ohio. His presidential election was unusual in that he lost the popular vote but won the electoral college.
Stop 4: Harding’s Home
Moving southeast toward Columbus, the next stop lies in Marion where you can find the Harding Home, Harding Memorial and the new Warren G. Harding Presidential Library and Museum.
29th President Warren G. Harding grew up in Marion and married Florence Kling DeWolfe who later went on to be the first woman to vote for her husband in a presidential election due to the passage of the 19th amendment. Both Harding and DeWolfe were laid to rest at the Harding Memorial.
The Harding Home and the Warren G. Harding Presidential Library and Museum opened in May and operates on a year-round basis. The Harding Memorial site is open from dawn to dusk year-round. Certain guidelines, such as observing silence and respect, are to be followed all throughout the 10 acres of the site.
Stop 5: Family Affair
For the fourth stop on the road trip, head southwest to Hamilton County and pay respects to not one, but two of Ohio’s presidents.
William Henry Harrison, 9th president, and grandson Benjamin Harrison, 23rd president, are commemorated together in Cleves. Visit the Harrison-Symmes Memorial Foundation Museum and Harrison’s Tomb to visit the gravesite of William Henry Harrison and see several preserved artifacts and items belonging to the family.
Benjamin Harrison was born in the Buckeye State, making him the seventh Ohioan president, and his presidency is best remembered for the passage of anti-trust laws. His grandfather’s legacy is best remembered as being the first president to die in office, a mere 31 days after his inauguration.
Stop 6: Tribute to Taft
Make a big-city stop on the trip in Cincinnati and visit an Ohio National Historic Site: the Taft House and Education Center.
William Howard Taft, the 27th president, was also the only president to have served on the Supreme Court. He was born in Cincinnati and both his birthplace and boyhood home still stand as landmarks. The historic site is open for self-guided tours.
Stop 7: General’s Genesis
Continue east of Cincinnati for final location on the presidential road trip: the 18th president’s birthplace, boyhood home and schoolhouse.
The Grant Birthplace is located at 1551 State Rt. 232 in Point Pleasant. Two-term president and Civil War general Ulysses S. Grant was born in the home in 1822. Tours typically last one hour and highlight the history of the house and how it traveled around Ohio until its final resting place in Point Pleasant.
The Ulysses S. Grant Boyhood Home and Schoolhouse is located at 219 E. Grant Ave. in Georgetown, less than an hour east of Grant’s birthplace. In 1982, the house was named a National Historic Landmark. The home is currently open for visitors May through October or by appointment.
Helen Widman is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.