Ohio Home of President James Garfield.

Operated by the National Park Service (NPS), The Mentor, Ohio, home of President James A. Garfield, who served as the 20th President of the United States, is simply amazing.

Nowadays, presidential campaigning has become such a crucial element to our election process that it may come as a surprise to learn that campaigning was once considered a desperate tactic. In fact, during the 19th century, presidential hopefuls were advised to stay out of public view and simply wait for election results to be counted--and that is exactly what Republican candidate James Garfield intended to do prior to the 1880 Presidential Election. Though Garfield attempted to remain tucked away at his home in Mentor, Ohio, voters started showing up at Garfield's front porch to hear his ideas and talk with him about America's future. From his front porch (pictured above), Garfield began delivering what came to be known as "Front Porch Talks" prior to the 1880 Presidential Election. A gifted orator, Garfield captured the hearts and minds of voters far and wide without ever leaving his home--or campaigning.

Born into poverty, Garfield's mother gave him her life savings of $17 dollars--enough to pay for one year of college in 1851. Highly intelligent, Garfield excelled rapidly in his studies, and by his second year of college was made a professor of mathematics and ancient literature.

Garfield later served as a general in the American Civil War, and soon after began a career in politics. Garfield was not even running as a candidate for president in 1880, but he was so highly respected by his fellow countrymen that delegates at the Republican National Convention cast their ballots for Garfield and elected him anyway.

This small outbuilding is also located on the property at Garfield's home in Ohio. It was used as Garfield's election headquarters office.

Garfield's home is also beautiful on the inside! This was Garfield's favorite room--as well as his favorite chair.

Many of the bedrooms in Garfield's home are also unique. The bedroom pictured above was used by Garfield's mother, Eliza, who loved having pictures of her son close by--including this stained glass portrait which she kept near her dresser.

While the Industrial Revolution had benefitted the country in a number of ways, it also gave birth to big factories that produced massive wealth, but paid Americans starving wages. As President, James Garfield not only fought to create an America that allowed the working class to grow and prosper, he also fiercely battled Washington, D.C. corruption which had catered to the wealthy for decades.

While historians agree that James Garfield had the makings of a truly great president, Garfield was tragically assassinated just four months into his presidency. Garfield's assassin, Charles Guiteau (pictured above) actually campaigned for Garfield during the 1880 election, believing that he would be rewarded if he helped Garfield get elected. But when Guiteau applied for a position in Garfield's administration and was denied, he decided to kill the president--once again falsely believing that he would be hailed a hero and rewarded. Guiteau was later found guilty and executed by hanging.

Perhaps the most humbling relic on display at James Garfield's home--the original wreath that was laid upon his casket.

Since James Garfield's assassination in 1881 was the second in United States history (occurring just sixteen years after Abraham Lincoln's assassination in 1865) it may be tempting to wonder, why didn't Garfield have security? Shouldn't Lincoln's assassination have prompted the government to establish official protection for the president? Not the case. In fact, the American public was convinced that Lincoln's assassination had been a unique circumstance, something that happened only during a time of great divide and anger caused by the American Civil War, and that presidential security was unnecessary. James Garfield's assassination, however, proved that presidential security was, in fact, a necessity, and it paved the way towards modern presidential security as we know it.

Although James Garfield's life and presidency were cut tragically short, his home in Mentor, Ohio, truly keeps Garfield's legacy alive. The next time you're in the area, I highly recommend stopping by for a visit--you won't be disappointed.