The Farm & Home of the 20th U.S. President, James Garfield

June 2025

A Presidential Stop in Mentor, Ohio

A visit to the James A. Garfield National Historic Site was also on our to-do list. Once, this site in Mentor, OH, was the farm and home of James A. Garfield, the 20th U.S. President. He served for less than seven months and died on September 19, 1881, two months after being shot.

.

We took a guided tour of his home, the only way to see the interior of the building. Built in 1876 to house his large family, the home became a central point of his 1880 presidential campaign. Garfield held successful front porch rallies here, welcoming thousands of supporters. Garfield is often credited as the first presidential candidate to campaign from his home.

To avoid political corruption, Garfield was committed to the vision that federal hiring should be based on “not who you know, but what you know.” This point of view led to his assassination by an unhappy job seeker who believed he deserved a position despite his lack of qualifications.
Thanks to his widow, the house was expanded between 1885 and 1886 to include the first presidential library—a tradition that continues to this day. In 1936, descendants of the Garfield family donated the house and farm to the Western Reserve Historical Society. In 1980, it became part of the National Park Service, which now preserves it as the James A. Garfield National Historic Site.

Date

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Distance

1.44 miles

Moving Time

0:35:23 hrs

Weather

75 °F, gentle breeze