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| Portraits of Warren G. and Florence Harding meet guests in the lobby of the Presidential Library |
Warren G. Harding: 29th President, 8th Presidential Home/Library, 7 out of 40-ish to go. . .
The U.S. has had 45 presidents, but with Grover Cleveland serving two non-consecutive terms, Joe Biden is POTUS no. 46. I have a goal of visiting as close to that number of presidential museums/libraries as possible and this month, with our stop in Marion, Ohio, home to Warren G. Harding and his wife, Florence, I'm up to eight such sites for seven different Commander-in Chiefs. And, as I have found with all such historic places, the Warren G. Harding Home and Presidential Library was well worth the trip.
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| The Harding Home. Warren and Florence Harding were married in the parlor. |
As part of our "solar eclipse extended weekend" in northern Ohio, we added on other close-by outings to our temporary homebase of Findlay. Since our early "Saturday Arrivals" team is comprised of history buffs (husband, Chris, friends Pam and Quint and son-in-law, Sean and daughter, Rachel - the latter of whom also shares the "presidential sites quest"), we eyed two presidential homes within an hour's drive of our hotel (thanks, Pam, for the preplanning!). We chose the Harding Home for our afternoon tour -but, Rutheford B. Hayes, we'll get you next.
Apparently, we weren't the only folks who thought to enhance their solar eclipse experience. The Harding Home was bustling. In fact, our tour guide told us, they had never been so busy. (But, I hasten to add, "Harding Home busy" is not "Rush-hour-in-Manhattan-busy". Instead of the standard ten people allowed through the home at one time, they allowed fourteen.)
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| Sean and Rachel on the front porch, site of the Front Porch Campaigne |
Aside from all the logistics tales, the interesting part is, most assuredly, the history and artifacts associated with the 29th President and his wife as told by their home and library.
Probably most of us know Harding by the "Teapot Dome Scandal" and the rather dark cloud of a shady administration. What was new to me, however, was that all the negativity surrounding Harding came after he died when details of fraud and corruption were exposed.
Sadly, the scandal with the pleasant-sounding title (I mean, who cannot love a "teapot"?) involved Harding's Secretary of Interior, Albert Fall. He leased out two of the government's biggest oil reserves, one being the Teapot Dome, to private companies for significant personal gain.
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| Tour groups during eclipse weekend reached up to fourteen at a time |
How much Harding knew of the behind-the-scenes shenanigans is a debatable topic, but there are many, including our tour guide, who also point to the President's strengths: his charisma, gift-of-gab and, good looks. His wife, Florence, was also a contributor to his success in both running a newspaper as well as running for, and securing, the presidency.
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| Chris stands alert in security shed |
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| Standing in WGH's footsteps |
Reluctant to travel to promote his candidacy, Harding adopted the rather convenient "Front Porch Campaign" where he stayed local and supporters came to him. As the name implies, Harding gave speeches from the front porch of the home that he and Florence built - and were married in - thirteen years prior to the election. From July through October of 1920, the Hardings received over 600,000 guests who spilled way beyond the home's front yard and into the streets. Today, visitors can see the imprints of Harding's feet in the center of the wraparound porch where he stood making his speeches to the crowds. (That, of course, lead to a photo op).
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| Fellow history buffs outside the Presidential Library |
Our afternoon included a one-hour tour of the interior of the Harding Home; a Victorian-era residence, that, I found surprisingly, not exceedingly big or heavy-handed in decor. In fact, the Harding's master bedroom, is brightly attired in yellow wall coverings and linens with Birdseye maple furniture. Unfortunately, no pictures are allowed and a further disappointment, no Warren G. Harding home souvenir book available at the gift shop, so I'm describing by memory only. On the plus side, though, I did pick up a WGH tea mug and a bookmark with Florence's waffle recipe, so a few tangible reminders to take home.
Harding's favorite meal was a waffle topped with chipped beef and gravy. During the Front Porch Campaign, waffles were consistently on the menu. Florence's recipe was published in women's magazines with glowing reviews. The Harding Library now hosts an annual waffle breakfast using Florence's original recipe - we missed it by a week.
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| The Press House, remarkably built in two days, housed the press during the 1920 campaign. |
Next to the house is a small building known as the "Press House". A remarkable mail order kit from Sears and Robuck, it was built in two days and housed the members of the press during the 1920 campaign.
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| Big potato, a favorite with students of Political Science |
Across from the home is the relatively new Warren G. Harding Library, completed in 2021. It welcomes visitors to the front lobby with two large portraits of President and Mrs. Harding in attractive 1920's fashionable attire. From there, guests can experience the Harding story through documents and belongings of the family, ranging from serious to somewhat silly. There's a large faux potato from Idaho Falls on display - a gift from the residents when Harding visited there in 1923. I'll let you decide which category that figures into, but Rachel and I felt it worthy enough to snap, independently of each other, a photo of it and send out in family group text (met with mixed reviews, btw). We're both Political Science undergrads, so we share an interest in history, government, and curiously, the odd potato.
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| Mother and Daughter with shared interests, including Presidential Homes/Libraries Quests |
We're very glad we made the Warren G. Harding Home and Presidential Library part of our extended weekend: a stellar stop as part of a solar showcase.
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| Souvenirs from WGH gift shop include tea mug and Florence's waffle recipe |
Final countdown, we're at eight Presidential Homes/Libraries (that is our strict criteria; homes or libraries, other places of interests, e.g., where a President stayed or dined, doesn't count) for seven presidents. As noted in our President's Day blog this year, we've been to the following:
- Mount Vernon: Washington
- Hyde Park, NY and the Little White House, GA: FDR
- Hermitage, TN: Jackson
- Gerald Ford Library, Grand Rapids, MI: Ford
- Taft Home, CN: Taft
- McKinley Home and Library, Canton, OH: McKinley
We can now add the Harding Home to the list, potato and all.
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