Why is this Historic Site Important?
This historic site in Marion Ohio is the final resting place of Warren and Florence Harding. Harding was the 29th president of the U.S, (1921–1923) and the first president elected after women were allowed to vote in national elections.
Harding was born November 2, 1865, in Corsica, Ohio and spent most of his youth in Caledonia, Ohio. Harding died in office and the outpouring of support from the people of the U.S. funded the building of the Harding Memorial in Marion, not far from the Harding Home.
The Harding Tomb is a dramatic marble memorial to commemorate President and Mrs. Harding, and to serve as their tomb. Shortly after the country’s 29th President died in office, The Harding Memorial Association was formed to raise money for a memorial site in honor of the late president. The association ultimately received $977,821.76 in donations from more than one million people across the country, as well as contributions from several European nations. Maybe most notably among the list of contributors from the United States were an estimated 200,000 school children, who donated pennies towards the memorial.
"I do not believe there is any other influence so much needed in a tumultuous world as a re-consecration to God Almighty. I rejoice that America is free in religion." Warren G. Harding
Our Common Country
What to know about the site:
The open air, Greek style tomb is made of Georgia white marble and sits on 10-acres in a park-like area personally approved by Mrs. Harding, just 1.5 miles from the Harding Home. The design for the memorial was created by Henry F. Hornbostel and Eric Fisher Wood – mostly because of their design’s simplicity and President Harding’s wish for an under-the-sky burial. Hornbostel also designed the campus that is now Carnegie Mellon University. There are no embellishments on the Harding Tomb, just an inscription on the inside wall. The monument, set in 10 acres of landscaped grounds, is similar in appearance to a round Greek temple. The simple Doric features and spacious surroundings combine to create one of the most beautiful presidential memorials outside Washington, D. C.
The ground breaking for the memorial was held on April 26, 1926. Construction of the tomb concluded the following year and President and Mrs. Harding’s remains were moved to the memorial that December. The memorial was dedicated by President Herbert Hoover in 1931.
Key things to see or do while visiting the site:
Walk around the tomb. Visit the Harding Home nearby. Take a tour of the house and the other historic buildings on the site. Be sure to visit the museum store behind the home.
http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/places/c03/01/