James A. Garfield

James A. Garfield 20th President of the United States (1881)

Garfield sites that I have visited: 

Garfield birthplace, Moreland Hills, OH

Garfield home Hiram, OH
                                                

Garfield home 'Lawnfield' and museum Mentor, OH

Site where Garfield was shot Washington DC
                                                

Site of Garfields death Long Branch, NJ
                                                

Garfield Tea House at Church of the Presidents Long Branch, NJ
                                             

Garfield Tomb, Lake View Cemetery Cleveland, OH

Historical marker and reconstructed cabin at Garfield's birthplace. Moreland Hills, OH

Boyhood statue of Garfield at his birthplace.

We took a small walk behind the cabin into the woods and found an older marker marking the exact birthsite of Garfield. I read about this on http://www.catsafterme.com/

President Garfield's home in Hiram, OH. Garfield attended the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute in Hiram. He later returned to teach and later become Principle of the school. Garfield actually lived in this house longer then he did his  "Lawnfield" home in Mentor that is available for tour and called the James A Garfield National Historic Site.

Garfields 'Lawnfield' home. Mentor, OH

Lawnfield is very well preserved. It is the site of the first front porch campaign. Garfield himself didn't live here long. But his wife lived until 1918. So she lived here nearly 40 years. There is a memorial library to Garfield here, that some call the first Presidential library. It is a National Park Service site and has a nice little museum to Garfield in the visitors center.

The stone block part of the house to the right is the memorial library.

Inside the Lawnfield house. This is the room in which Garfields mother lived. After Garfields death she surrounded herself with pictures of her son.

The stairway in Lawnfield with a portrait of Garfield in the landing

Fireplace inside the Memorial Library that Mrs. Garfield had built in her husbands memory.

An overview of the Memorial Library that holds Garfields large book collection.

James Garfields office in his Lawnfield home

The old horse barn at Lawnfield is now the visitors center for the National Park Service and has a small Garfield Museum.

No pics allowed but a snuck a few anyways. Garfields inaguaral scene which is near the Bible in which he was sworn in on

Garfields Inaguaral Bible

A display on Garfields election in the Visitors Center Museum

Garfield death scene in the Visitors Center Museum.

Lawnfield is officially known as the James A. Garfield National Historic Site. I would highly recommend it!

    The Museum of Art in Washington DC behind me is the site of the train station where President Garfield was shot. The whole area has changed so much since Garfield was shot that no one knows for sure an exact spot. But it did happen somewhere in the area behind me

After Garfield was shot he was sent to the New Jersey coast to recover. Sadly he took a turn for the worse and died in Long Branch, NJ on September 19, 1881

Just a couple blocks from the Garfield death site is The Church of the Presidents, where 7 President at one point or another attended church. The site is fenced off to the public.

Me at the Church of the Presidents in Long Branch, NJ. I was trying to smile, but I was standing in a surprisingly cold rain for June.

On the Church of the Presidents property is the "Garfield Tea House". A special railroad track was installed to get Garfield to the Jersey coast. This little house was built with the railroad ties from that train track.

Garfield Tomb Lake View Cemetery Cleveland, OH

One of many ingravings around the Tombs. This one depicts his election

Marker in front of the Tomb

Marble statue of Garfield in his Tomb

After the Birthday wreath laying ceremony in November 2015

Rear view of President and Mrs. Garfields caskets. The 2 urns are the remains of the President's daughter and son in law

Caskets of President and Mrs. Garfield in the basement of the Garfield Tomb

Me at the gravesite of President Garfield in September 2010

Another return trip in August 2012

My most recent stop to Garfield's Tomb in November 2015. Just before attending the Birthday wreath laying ceremony

The Garfield Tomb is amazing. It is kind of another example of a President with modest accomplishment getting a huge tomb because of the unfortunate timing of their death, while in office.

Garfield served the 2nd shortest term of any President. 2nd only to W. H. Harrison. He was a Civil War General and was the last person to go from the House of Represenatives to the Presidency. Garfield took office in March, was shot in July, and died in September. He was the only preacher to ever serve as President. He was brilliant. He could write Latin in one hand and Greek in the other hand, at the same time! That alone is alittle mind blowing for me.