Landmarks in The Land: Northeast Ohio's James A. Garfield National Historic Site

Описание: While James A. Garfield may not have served as president for long, he and his family left a lasting legacy in Northeast Ohio at their Mentor home.

Right off of Mentor Avenue in Mentor, Ohio, a house, painted gray with a red roof, stands shielded by trees. Just driving by, it could be mistaken for a stately residential home whose front yard is neatly lined by a white picket fence. But a sign standing next to the driveway reveals something special about the property and its presidential ties.

This property is the former home of President James A. Garfield, his wife, Lucretia and their family. A member of the Garfield family most recently lived in the house in 1934.

According to Todd Arrington, site manager of the James A. Garfield National Historic Site, part of the National Park System, the Garfield family bought the property in 1876. The property included a nine-room farmhouse which served as the family home they later expanded and at one point was about 160 acres. Today, the site consists of eight acres, including the museum/visitor center, outbuildings, and the main house.

Arrington said the family put work into the home to truly make it theirs, anticipating it being their forever home. However, at the 1880 Republican Convention, Arrington described a bit of a surprise; Garfield, previously not thought to be a contender for the presidency, became a "compromise candidate" and ended up securing the nomination and eventually winning the presidency.

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