Harding Home facts for kids
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Warren G. Harding House
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Harding Home in 2011
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| Location | 380 Mt. Vernon Ave., Marion, Ohio |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1891 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne Style |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000618 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | June 23, 1965 |
The Harding Home is a special house in Marion, Ohio. It's now a historic house museum, which means it's kept just as it was when important people lived there. This house was once the home of Warren G. Harding, who became the 29th president of the United States.
Warren Harding and his future wife, Florence, helped design this house in 1890. They got married there a year later and lived in it for 30 years. This was before Warren Harding was elected president.
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The "Front Porch" Campaign
Just like an earlier U.S. president from Ohio, James A. Garfield, Warren Harding ran his election campaign mostly from his home. He used the large front porch of the Harding Home to give speeches. This was called a "front porch campaign."
During this three-month campaign, more than 600,000 people traveled to the Harding Home. They came to listen to Warren Harding speak. His next-door neighbor, George Christian, was also his Press Secretary. George allowed his house to be used as the Republican Party's headquarters for the campaign. In 1920, Harding even built a small building behind Christian's house. This was a workspace for newspaper reporters to type their stories.
Inside the Harding Home
The house has a big, detailed porch all around it. When you enter, you step into a reception hall. To the left, there's a parlor, which is like a living room. A dining room and Harding's office are also on the first floor.
Upstairs, on the second floor, there are four bedrooms and a bathroom. The house also has built-in closets. These were quite unusual and modern for homes built at that time.
The Home as a Museum
After Warren Harding passed away, his wife, Florence Harding, left the house to the Harding Memorial Association. Today, the Ohio Historical Society takes care of the home. They run it as a historic house museum and a memorial to President Harding.
The house has been carefully restored. It still contains almost all the original furniture and items that belonged to President Harding and his wife. Next to the main house is the former press house. This building now has exhibits that tell the story of President and Mrs. Harding's lives. The Harding Home has a collection of over 5,000 original items that belonged to them.
Restoring the Harding Home
In 2016, a project called "Harding 2020" began. This was a team effort between the Ohio History Connection, the Harding Home, and Marion Technical College. They planned to spend $7.3 million to improve the site.
The main goal was to restore the house and its grounds. They wanted it to look exactly as it did in 1920. This project was completed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Harding's election to the presidency. The site is now known as the Warren G. Harding Presidential Center.
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