McKinley Birthplace Home and Research Center facts for kids
The McKinley Birthplace Home and Research Center is a special building in Niles, Ohio. It's a new version of the house where William McKinley was born. He later became the twenty-fifth President of the United States. This center helps people learn about his life and times.
Contents
Learning About McKinley's Birthplace
The First Home
William McKinley was born in Niles, Ohio, on January 29, 1843. His first home was a small house made of wood. It had two stories and eight rooms. The whole house was about 924 square feet (86 m2), which is not very big. This original house was moved two times. Sadly, it was destroyed by a fire in 1937.
Building a New Center
Years later, people wanted to honor President McKinley. In 1994, a local bank gave a building to the city of Niles. This building was on the exact spot where McKinley was born. By 1999, the state of Ohio provided $83,000. This money helped to tear down the old bank building. This cleared the way for a new project.
The McKinley Memorial Library took over the site in 2001. They also bought another piece of land next door. This extra land was for the future Birthplace Home and Research Center. Work to clear the remaining land started in the fall of that year.
An architecture company from Youngstown, Ohio helped design the new building. A construction company called DSV Builders managed the building work.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new center was held on April 28, 2002. The new facility opened to the public on May 4, 2003. Many local government leaders attended the opening. An Ohio Historical Marker was also placed at the site.
What You Can Find There Today
The new building has two stories. It is much larger than McKinley's original home. It looks a little bit like the old house from pictures. The center has a library filled with information about McKinley. There is also a gift shop where you can buy souvenirs. You can find meeting spaces and a computer lab too.
The Home & Research Center is open to visitors. You can usually visit on the first weekend of each month. This is from September through May. You can check their website for more details.
