Garfield Tea House facts for kids
The Garfield Tea House in Long Branch, New Jersey, is a special building. It's the only structure left that's directly connected to President James A. Garfield's last visit to the Jersey Shore. This unique tea house was built using the wooden ties from an emergency railroad track. This track was quickly built to move the very ill President Garfield from the nearby Elberon train station to a cottage by the ocean, where he passed away 12 days later.
The Story of the Garfield Tea House
President Garfield often visited Long Branch. Just a few months after he became president, he was shot on July 2, 1881. This happened while he was waiting for a train in Washington. He was on his way to Long Branch. A man named Charles J. Guiteau shot him.
In early September 1881, local people worked very fast. They laid more than half a mile of railroad tracks in less than 24 hours. They did this when they heard the sick president was coming to Long Branch from Washington. The goal was to help him recover from his gunshot wounds. Instead of a bumpy ride in a horse-drawn carriage, the tracks allowed President Garfield to be brought right to the door of the Francklyn cottage by the ocean. He arrived in Elberon on the evening of September 6.
President Garfield passed away 12 days later, on September 19. After his death, the special tracks were removed. An actor named Oliver Byron bought the wooden ties. He hired a local carpenter, William Presley, to build the Garfield Tea House using these ties. The tea house first stood in Byron's summer cottage yard. One of the original metal rails from the track is even used to support the roof! The building was originally red, white, and blue. Today, it is red and white. After being moved several times, the tea house now rests on the grounds of the Long Branch Historical Museum.
Saving the Tea House for the Future
The Long Branch Historical Museum Association owns the Garfield Tea House. They are working hard to restore the Church of the Presidents and its surrounding grounds. The tea house is located on these grounds. Restoring the tea house is part of a bigger plan to save the Church of the Presidents. This plan has four steps, and they are currently in the second step. The Garfield Tea House is located at 1260 Ocean Avenue in Long Branch. It's right across the street from the Atlantic Ocean.
To preserve the tea house, workers will lift the building. They will then dig to make the ground flat. Next, they will pour a strong concrete foundation. Finally, they will carefully lower the building onto its new base. The old wooden shingle roof needs to be replaced. The paint on the outside will also be removed. Any railroad ties that are starting to decay will be strengthened with a special material. They will not be replaced.
Once the Church of the Presidents is fully restored, both it and the Garfield Tea House will open to the public. They will serve as a museum about the presidents and other important people who vacationed there. They will also be a place to study the history of Long Branch and the Jersey Shore. This is especially true for the time period known as the Gilded Age, and how presidents enjoyed their leisure time back then.
Images for kids
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Francklyn Cottage, at Elberon by the sea, September 6, 1881, showing the laying of the tracks
