Fact Sheet

Park Description:

James A. Garfield National Historic Site is located in the city of Mentor (Lake County) in northeast Ohio, 25 miles east of Cleveland. The Site includes the home of James and Lucretia Garfield and several outbuildings. In 1880, the property was site of the nation's first ever "front porch" presidential campaign. Dignitaries, students, Civil War veterans, women's and immigrants' groups, and public well-wishers all came to see and hear candidate Garfield speak from the home's front porch. The campaign office on the property was equipped with a telegraph that allowed the candidate to stay informed of developments across the country. After President Garfield's assassination, with money provided to the family through a charitable "subscription fund" established by family friend Cyrus Field and others, Lucretia Garfield constructd the nation's first presidential memorial library, which set a precendent for future presidential libraries. Included in the library was a fire-resistant vault that housed her husband's letters and papers.

 

Visitor Amenities

The Garfield Home and property were restored in the mid-1990s. The 1893 carriage house has beem repurposed to serve as the visitor center, which now contains a Garfield museum, a 18 minute introductory film, and an America's National Parks bookstore. The Garfield home now contains 29 rooms and is restored to its appearance from 1886 through the early 20th century. Approximately 6,000 artifacts owned by the Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS) and managed day-to-day by the National Park Service are dsiplayed in the museum and home. They are 80-85 percent original to the Garfield family. The site holds no significant archival collections. The grounds contain walking paths, wayside exhibits, picnic tables and several outbuildings not usually open to the public with the exception of the Campaign Office. Also on the grounds visitors will find a cell phone tour of the grounds and property and new B.A.R.K Ranger program for visitors who bring their dogs. A guided tour is the only way to see the interior of the Garfield home; daily guided tours through the home begin in the visitor center. The Site hosts dozens of special events and programs each year.