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Although the Mentor farm was a quiet space for James A. Garfield and his family to escape the city life of Washington D.C, all of that changed when Garfield was nominated as the Republican candidate for the presidency in 1880. You can imagine what a bustling site of activity the Garfield farm and home became, with an estimated 17,000 visitors that came to see and hear Candidate Garfield speak from his front porch. The front porch campaign was a new way of campaigning that the country had never seen before; a candidate, speaking on his own behalf, directly to the American people. Garfield's campaign would set the precedent for the modern style of campaigning still practiced today. During Garfield’s campaign season there were many stories, events, and people that came to the home to see the candidate. Many of these events were reported and recorded by local and national newspapers as well as in the letters and reflections of family members and friends. This online exhibit features four spaces at James A. Garfield National Historic Site and tells the stories of how these spaces became connected and significant to the 1880 campaign. Explore the four spaces below to get started! 
NPS Photo Campaign Office
James A. Garfield used this building as a library. During the campaign, it was converted into a communication center for Garfield and his staffers. It was equipped with a telegraph, a letter press, and was constantly abuzz with campaign activity throughout the summer and fall of 1880.
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NPS Photo Front Porch
The front porch of James A. Garfield’s Mentor home became the epicenter of his presidential campaign. Among the many “firsts” in American political history, from this front porch Garfield gave the first bilingual campaign speech, and the first in- person speeches delivered from a candidate's home.
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NPS Photo Dining Room
During the presidential campaign the newspapers described the dining room as the most colorful room in the house. On the evening of November 2, 1880 James A. Garfield celebrated a presidential victory with his family. They enjoyed a dinner of ham in champagne, canvasback duck, and oysters.
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NPS Photo Parlor
The parlor inside James A. Garfield's Mentor home hosted many visitors during the campaign. One documented visit that took place here was of former President Ulysses S. Grant and Roscoe Conkling, an influential figureheard of the Stalwart faction of the Republican party, in September 1880. Their meeting was called the "Treaty of Mentor" by reporters. Another group to visit the home was the Fisk Jubilee Singers, an a capella choir of African-Americans students who performed for the Garfield family.
Click on the photo to learn more! Want to read more about the campaign season or about the people involved? The articles below were written by rangers at the site.
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Last updated: October 1, 2020