Garfield Tea House facts for kids
The Garfield Tea House in Long Branch, New Jersey, is a special building. It is the only structure left that is directly connected to President James A. Garfield's last trip to the Jersey Shore. The Tea House was built from the wooden railroad ties. These ties were used to create an emergency track. This track carried the very ill President Garfield from the nearby Elberon train station to a cottage by the ocean. He passed away there 12 days later.
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The Garfield Tea House Story
President Garfield often visited Long Branch. Less than four months after becoming president, he was shot on July 2, 1881. This happened while he was waiting for a train in Washington. An unhappy person named Charles J. Guiteau shot him.
A President's Visit and a Sad Event
On September 5, 1881, local people worked very hard. They laid more than half a mile of railroad tracks in less than 24 hours. They learned that the president was very sick. He was coming to Long Branch from Washington D.C. They hoped the ocean air would help him get better.
The new tracks meant the president did not need to travel by bumpy horse-drawn carriage. Instead, he could be brought right to the front door of the Francklyn cottage. This was directly from the local Elberon train station. The special railroad line ran down the middle of a road. Today, that road is called Lincoln Avenue. President Garfield arrived in Elberon on the evening of September 6.
How the Tea House Was Built
President Garfield passed away 12 days later, on September 19. After his death, the emergency tracks were removed. An actor named Oliver Doud Byron bought the wooden ties. He asked a local carpenter, William Presley, to build the Garfield Tea House using them.
The Tea House first stood in Byron's summer cottage yard. One of the original metal rails from the track is still used. It helps support the roof of the Tea House. The building was first painted 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. This is on Ocean Avenue, near where the Francklyn cottage used to be. The leftover parts of the railroad tracks near the cottage became a small road. It is now called Garfield Road.
Saving History: The Tea House Today
The Long Branch Historical Museum Association owns the Garfield Tea House. They are working hard to restore the Church of the Presidents and its grounds. The Tea House is located on these grounds.
Restoring the Tea House is part of a bigger plan. This plan has four steps to save the Church of the Presidents. The Tea House restoration is part of the second step. The Garfield Tea House is at 1260 Ocean Avenue in Long Branch. It is right across the street from the Atlantic Ocean.
What's Next for the Tea House?
To save the Tea House, workers will lift the building up. They will dig to make the ground level. Then, they will pour a strong concrete foundation. After that, the building will be carefully lowered onto its new base. The old wood shingle roof needs to be replaced. The paint on the outside will be removed. Any old, worn-out railroad ties will be fixed with a special glue. They will not be replaced with new wood.
Once the Church of the Presidents is fully restored, it and the Garfield Tea House will open to the public. They will become a museum. This museum will tell the stories of presidents and people who vacationed there. It will also be a place to learn about Long Branch and Jersey Shore history. This is especially true for the time called the Gilded Age, when many presidents came to relax.
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