Harding home chronicles 29th president
MARION
Visitors to this central Ohio community can totally immerse themselves in the history of the 29th president of the United States at the Warren G. Harding Home and Memorial.
The Queen Anne-style home, located at 380 Mount Vernon Ave., contains more than 5,000 items that belonged to Harding and his wife, Florence.
The couple resided there for nearly three decades before Harding was elected president in 1920.
These items range from the 1899-vintage bicycle Warren Harding rode to the suit and top hat he wore to his presidential inauguration.
Also in the house are his arrowhead collection, the cradle he occupied as a baby and his wife’s clothing and china collections.
One-hour guided tours of the house begin on the large front porch, from which Harding delivered speeches to thousands during his famous “Front Porch Campaign” for the presidency.
Tourists are then guided through the reception hall, parlor, dining room, Harding’s home office and the upstairs bedrooms.
The home was built for the Hardings in 1891, and 95 percent of its furnishings are original.
Sherry Hall, site manager, said many visitors tell her they feel as if the Hardings “had just stepped out of the room,” as they tour the house.
“You do feel the warmth of the people that lived here,” Hall added.
The National Historic Landmark is operated by the Ohio History Connection, formerly known as the Ohio Historical Society.
Although his administration was marred by corruption, including the Teapot Dome scandal, Harding’s election victory and presidency were characterized by several firsts:
The first election with nationwide women’s suffrage.
The first radio announcement of election results, which was broadcast on the Pittsburgh-based KDKA.
The first automobile ride by a president-elect to his inauguration.
The first radio address by a president.
Establishment of the Bureau of Veterans’ Affairs, which later became the Veterans’ Administration and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Establishment of the U.S. Bureau of the Budget and of the president’s required annual submission of a federal budget to Congress.
Those visiting the site this year or next year will be able to see it before portions of it close, likely in 2017, for restoration in advance of the 2020 centennial of Harding’s presidential election victory.
“We’re going to try to keep the Harding home open during our restoration as much as we can,” Hall said.
The Harding residence is about a mile from the Harding tomb, which may be visited free of charge from dawn to dusk.
Harding and his wife are interred within the circular marble structure, which was completed in 1927.
The open-air, colonnaded tomb is at Vernon Heights Boulevard and Delaware Avenue.