Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site facts for kids
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Benjamin Harrison Home in 2008
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| Location | Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
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| Type | Presidential museum |
| Visitors | 35,000 |
| Owner | Arthur Jordan Foundation |
| Public transit access |   4, 5 |
The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site is a special museum. It used to be the home of Benjamin Harrison, who was the 23rd president of the United States. You can find it in Indianapolis, Indiana. This big house has 16 rooms and was built a long time ago, between 1874 and 1875.
From the front porch of this house, Benjamin Harrison gave many speeches. These talks were part of his "Front Porch Campaign" when he was running for president in 1888. He often spoke to large crowds right outside his home. Later, in 1896, he made some changes to the house, like adding electricity. Benjamin Harrison passed away in a bedroom on the second floor of this house in 1901. Today, the house is owned by the Arthur Jordan Foundation. The Benjamin Harrison Foundation runs it as a museum, so people can learn about the former president.
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History of the Harrison Home
Benjamin Harrison moved to Indianapolis in 1854. He came to start his career as a lawyer. After serving in the military, he bought a large piece of land in 1867. This land was on the edge of town at the time.
Building the House
Construction on his new house began in 1874. It was finished in 1875. The house cost about $24,818.67 to build. When the Harrison family moved to 1230 Delaware Street, other important people in Indianapolis also started moving north. The property had many elm and oak trees. Benjamin Harrison lived in this house for most of his life. The only times he lived elsewhere were when he was a United States Senator (1881–1887) and when he was President (1889–1893). He passed away in the main bedroom of the house on March 13, 1901.
Front Porch Speeches
When Benjamin Harrison was running for president in 1888, he gave campaign speeches. He spoke to people gathered on the street outside his home. These were called "front-porch speeches." It's interesting to know that the actual front porch was not built until 1896. This was three years after he finished being president.
Becoming a Museum
After Benjamin Harrison died, his wife, Mary Dimmick Harrison, owned the house. In 1939, she sold it to the Arthur Jordan School of Music. She made sure that the house would always be a memorial to Benjamin Harrison. The school fixed up the house. They turned the second and third floors into a place for their female students to live. The first floor became a museum.
For many years, you could only visit the museum by making an appointment. In 1966, the Benjamin Harrison Home was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a very important historical place. In the same year, a group called the Benjamin Harrison Foundation was started. This group helps manage and run the museum. Regular daily tours began in 1974. This happened after the Arthur Jordan Foundation finished another big renovation. They fully changed the house into a house museum. The Arthur Jordan Foundation still lets the Benjamin Harrison Foundation use the house today.
House Design and Features
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Benjamin Harrison Home
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Indianapolis
Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1230 North Delaware Street Indianapolis, Indiana |
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| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Built | 1874 |
| Architect | Herman T. Brandt |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Visitation | 25,303 (2009) |
| Part of | Old Northside Historic District (ID78000049) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000010 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | January 29, 1964 |
| Designated CP | March 24, 1978 |
The Benjamin Harrison House was built in the Italianate style. It was designed by architect Herman T. Brandt. The house is made of red brick and has sixteen rooms.
Architectural Style
You can see the Italianate style in its design. It has special decorative supports under the roof, called "bracketed cornices." There is also a three-story bay window. These features are common in Italianate buildings.
Inside the Home
Inside, the house has beautiful details. There is a staircase made of walnut wood with oak trim. The woodwork throughout the house is made from butternut wood. The floors are made of different pieces of wood fitted together, called parquet floors. Many changes were made in 1896. This is when electricity was added, and the front porch was built.
Visiting the Museum Today
The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site is open for tours almost every day. You can explore ten of the sixteen rooms. All the rooms are decorated in the Victorian style. This is how they would have looked when Benjamin Harrison lived there.
Collections and Archives
About 75% of the items in the museum actually belonged to Benjamin Harrison and his family. There are 3,700 pieces of memorabilia in total. The museum also has 2,440 books. Besides things about Benjamin Harrison, the house also keeps old records from the Daughters of the American Revolution. The front parlor room is set up to look just as it did when Benjamin Harrison brought his new wife home.
A Special Polling Place
Since May 2015, the house has had another special role. It serves as a polling station for elections in Indianapolis. This means people can come to the former president's home to vote! It is one of only two presidential memorials in the U.S. that also works as a polling place. The other is the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
See also
- List of attractions and events in Indianapolis
- List of museums in Indiana
- List of residences of presidents of the United States
- Presidential memorials in the United States
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Indiana
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Center Township, Marion County, Indiana
Images for kids
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Home of Benjamin Harrison 1901
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