Sherry Hall, site manager, for the Harding Home and Memorial, will be our guest speaker. Marion Noon Kiwanis meets in Marion Public Library, 445 E. Church Street, 11:30am.
Rendering of Harding Home and grounds as viewed from Mount Vernon Avenue, with Harding Presidential Center in background
The Ohio History Connection and Marion Technical College are working together to transform the Warren G. Harding Home Presidential Site. This collaborative effort, called Harding 2020, includes the complete restoration of the Harding Home, as well as the establishment of the Harding Presidential Center, which will serve as a visitor center, museum, archives and multi-purpose event facility.
The Harding Home will be restored to the 1920 era of Harding’s successful “front porch” campaign, which brought national attention to Marion and solidified his presidential victory. At that time, droves of people came to Marion to hear then-Senator Warren G. Harding speak. Countless Americans watched newsreel footage of the crowds from the comfort of their local movie theaters. Now, a century later, the excitement will return to the place where that famous campaign unfolded.
Harding 2020 will place Marion in the spotlight once again as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of Warren G. Harding’s election, while also allowing for a much more comprehensive interpretation of the life of our 29th President.
If you visit the Harding Home in 2020, you may feel as though Florence Harding has just rushed past in the reception hall of the house or that you’ve caught a glimpse of a newspaperman lounging on the front porch of the Press House. You’ll enjoy the grape arbor and newly planted apple trees the way the Hardings did, and you can mimic the horseshoe games played by Harding and his multitude of friends. The Press House will appear as the newspapermen saw it, equipped with typewriters, telegraph keys and perhaps a stogie or two.
The new Harding Presidential Center will include a large main exhibit gallery, featuring artifacts that depict the story of Warren G. Harding, First Lady Florence Kling Harding and their path from Marion to the White House. The center will also allow for greater public access to thousands of fascinating and historically significant presidential documents from Harding’s time in office.
An array of dynamic new spaces, including an outdoor courtyard area, research room and multimedia classrooms, will allow for greater overall capacity and versatility at the expanded site. These added features will enhance the experience of statewide and national visitors looking to explore the legacy of President Warren G. Harding and First Lady Florence Kling Harding.
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