Here's The Story Behind This 180-Foot-Tall James A. Garfield Memorial In Ohio
By Sarah McCosham|Published December 15, 2022
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
Ohio is known as the Mother of Presidents as seven U.S. presidents were born in the Buckeye State. (Ohio also claims bragging rights to William Henry Harrison, who was born in Virginia but settled in Ohio.) Among the ranks, James. A Garfield was born in Orange Township (now Moreland Hills), a beautiful locale in the Greater Cleveland area. He passed away in 1881, and Lake View Cemetery was chosen as his final resting place. This is why there is a 180-foot-tall James A. Garfield Memorial in Cleveland, Ohio, but it’s only part of the story, as you’ll soon see…
The James A. Garfield Memorial in Cleveland is one of the most commanding structures in the state. Its architecture is infused with magnificence, an impressive tribute to one of our most beloved presidents.
Sadly, Garfield's presidency lasted only 200 days -- the second shortest presidency in U.S. history. Garfield served from March 4 to Sept. 19, 1881, when he died from a gunshot wound inflicted by his assassin Charles J. Guiteau.
Garfield was at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington D.C. when he was shot. The wound was not initially fatal, but a lack of hygiene on the part of his doctors caused an infection that ultimately took the president’s life. Upon his death, the fallen president was temporarily interred in a part of Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio.
With his passing wholly unexpected, a committee was formed for Garfield's memorial. J. H. Wade was its president, and many other notable citizens were involved as well, including Rutherford B. Hayes and John D. Rockefeller. They wanted to create a memorial that truly honored the fallen president.
The casket was sealed in a temporary crypt while the permanent monument was planned. Construction began in 1885, and five years later, the memorial was dedicated on May 30, 1890.
It was worth the wait. Situated on a commanding hill in Lake View Cemetery, the James A. Garfield Memorial in Cleveland, Ohio, is a true architectural marvel.
It features a circular tower 50 feet in diameter and 180 feet high, built of native Ohio sandstone on a broad stone terrace. Around the exterior are five panels in bas-relief depicting Garfield's life and death. These panels include more than 100 figures, all of them life-size.
The tomb of President Garfield is located inside the memorial. It is entered through the portico from a terrace, a space that's very hallowed and peaceful.
A true sum of its parts, this marvelous, massive monument is certainly befitting of President Garfield, an Ohio icon who, despite being president for a mere 200 days, left a larger-than-life legacy.
