How the historical site is being preserved for future generations.
Written by Casey Couch
Excited chatter fills the air on a summer’s day in 1880. Suffragettes, activists and curious citizens parade down the dirt road and begin to fill the lawn outside James A. Garfield’s home.
"Part of the National Parks Service’s mission is not only to educate the public, but to help them connect with the history that they are learning about. Powell says this allows for the stories to feel more personal."
Voices quiet as Garfield steps outside to greet the crowd. From the comfort of his front porch, Garfield launched his presidential campaign with patriotic speeches and interactions within the small Ohio community.
On their way out, the attendees trudged through the gardens that had been carefully curated by Garfield’s wife, Lucretia, and helped themselves to the fruit that had been growing on their farm.
Leaving behind a wave of destruction on the home that later became known as Lawnfield, the “front porch campaign” proved worthy when Garfield was inaugurated as the 20th president of the United States in 1881.
The James A. Garfield National Historical Site is a small piece of local history located on Route 20 in Mentor, Ohio. Today, the park rangers and staff aim to educate the community on the life of the late president and preserve and protect the home for future generations as part of the U.S. National Park Service’s mission.
Welcome to Lawnfield
Lawnfield was purchased by Garfield, an Ohio native, just five years before his presidency in 1876 with the intent of being able to raise his seven children on the farm and teach them about the land.
Current acting manager and park ranger at the historical site, Allison Powell, says that most people tend to know about Garfield’s political career, but when visitors come to Lawnfield, they will also learn about his life as a husband and father.
“He was a very involved family man,” Powell said. “We have an account of him wrestling with his kids in their bedroom. I think that speaks to him as a person.”
Part of the National Parks Service’s mission is not only to educate the public, but to help them connect with the history that they are learning about. Powell says this allows for the stories to feel more personal.
“He’s on a pedestal, and those family stories kind of bring him down to our level,” Powell said. “Things like that really help us connect with him as a person and, you know, that’s what the National Parks Service is all about.”
Preserving the history
In order for the public to continue to tour Lawnfield, the home and its artifacts need to be properly preserved and monitored. Museum curator at the Garfield site, Kelsey Voit, works toward creating a stable environment for the home through a process called preventive conservation.
“We’re taking any and all action we can to slow the degradation process of objects in the house,” Voit explained. “I’m thinking long term for these objects.”
As one of her jobs, Voit makes sure the touring public is respectful of the home and not leaning on walls or touching items, which can cause wear and tear over time.
“I want these things to be ok in 100 years,” Voit said. “So with someone touching, let’s say, a table surface every day, the oils on our hands will eventually speed up the deterioration of that object.”
According to Voit, light is another factor they have to monitor because ultraviolet rays can cause irreversible harm to objects in the house overtime, so the inside is kept dim with shades partially drawn.
“We have UV film on the windows,” Voit said. “I have a light monitor, and I’m checking to make sure that those UV films are doing their job and we’re getting the least amount of light hitting those objects as possible.”
Although it can be a challenging job, Voit says that there is nothing more rewarding and she holds her position in high regard.
“I’m incredibly honored to care for a president’s objects,” Voit said. “I get such satisfaction when people say things like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe we have this here’, and I think, ‘You’re right. I can’t believe we have this here either,’ and I’m so lucky that I get to help preserve it.”
Local impact
While many locals are appreciative of the Garfield historical site, Powell says that many people who live in the area don’t realize that it is a U.S. National Park.
“Even though people drive past the arrowhead, which is the universal symbol of national parks, it’s not until they see us that they realize, ‘Oh yeah, this is a national park,’” Powell said.
According to Powell, having the park located in the center of the community is special because she gets to help educate local youth, like school students and scout groups, without the limitations of being stuck in a classroom.
“The Garfield home and the visitor center is my classroom, the kids that come here on field trips are my students and I’m their teacher for the two hours that they’re here,” Powell said. “I wake up every day feeling so fortunate that I get to teach history, which I love, in a place where it actually happened.”
