The morning of Friday November 15, 2024 couldn’t have started better; but Tom, Vicki, their granddaughter Reese, and I knew the best was yet to come. One could cut the anticipation in our Jeep with a knife throughout the entire 24-mile drive from the James A. Garfield Birth Site Park in Moreland Hills to Hiram, Ohio and that was all because of one person – Mr. Tim Garfield. The great-great-grandson of James A. Garfield had arranged to meet us at the first site, Hiram College’s Buckingham Place, and then spend the remainder of the day with the four of us as we followed in the footsteps of our 20th President.
We were a little over ten minutes early for our eleven o’clock rendezvous time when Vicki pulled our vehicle into the long driveway of Buckingham Place, which was on the northern side of the expansive Hiram College campus. Since we were the first ones there, it gave my photographer extra time to capture images of the exterior of the historic home.
Buckingham Place was built in 1852 as the home for Colonel John and Esther Buckingham in the newly established Western Reserve Eclectic Institute, now known as Hiram College. Because the home had seven bedrooms, the Buckingham’s transformed their residence into a dorm room for students at the college. The historic dwelling remained in the Buckingham family until 1935 when it was deeded to the college to serve as the President’s residence, a capacity of which it remained until 2011 when the home was transformed into an Alumni Welcome Center.
But the reason for our visit didn’t have anything to do with the Presidents of Hiram College. Our tour did, however, center on a particular student at the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute who helped build the historic home in 1852 – and that was 20-year-old James Abram Garfield.
The primary carpenter of the Buckingham’s new home was Deacon Zeb Rudolph, whose eldest daughter, Lucretia, was a student at the college and was very smitten with Garfield. Because of James’ work ethic and strength, Zeb hired Garfield to be his helper. And my gosh, what a valuable helper he was. Tradition has it that Garfield’s strength was so great that he tongue-and-grooved the oak plank flooring by himself, even though that task was always considered a two-man job – one to push and the other to pull the heavy plane.
As Tom carried me around the front of the home where I posed for several photos, it was easy to see the historic home had fallen into some disrepair over the past decade or so. Just as my photographer snapped his final image of the exterior, two cars pulled into the driveway – our hosts had arrived at precisely eleven o’clock. It was show time!
When my photographer carried me around to the back of the house where Vicki was helping Reese put on her 1860s-style dress, the four of us met an enthusiastic woman who graciously volunteered to serve as our host at Buckingham Place. Peggy Painley is the Chief of Staff for the office of the Hiram College President and is an expert on the history of the two homes on our agenda – Buckingham Place, and the Garfield-Robbins-Zimmerman House, which was our next stop at noon.
Moments after we were greeted by Peggy, I looked to my right and saw the door of the second vehicle open. I waited with bated breath, especially after I saw the SUV’s license plate, which read T GARF. Nearly 172 years after James A. Garfield had walked the grounds where we were standing, I got my first glimpse of the tall, bearded man who bore an uncanny resemblance to our 20th President.
In my painted eyes, we were in the presence of United States Presidential Royalty. Tim Garfield was the great-great-grandson of President James A. Garfield, and the great-grandson of James Rudolph Garfield, who served as Secretary of the Interior during Theodore Roosevelt’s administration. At first, I wanted to bow my head and scream out, “We’re not worthy. We’re not worthy”, like Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar did when they met Alice Cooper in the movie Wayne’s World. But the stately-looking man, who sported tan trousers and a beige sweater, quickly put the four of us at ease with his calm demeanor and humble personality. As a matter of fact, Tim quickly took a liking to Reese and complimented the ten-year-old on her dress.
Once inside the historic home, Peggy led our group through the two-story home as she explained the significance of each room. While the building holds a special place in the heart of Hiram College, it was the James Garfield connection that piqued my interest the most – especially the moment when Tom placed me on the oak flooring near the fireplace in the living room. As I stood on the floor and thought about the future President as he laid the boards in place one by one, I looked to the other side of the room and saw Tim Garfield standing on the same flooring. A flood of emotion streamed through my resin head – and I had to believe our host was feeling the same emotions as well.
We had been inside Buckingham Place for roughly 45 minutes when I heard Peggy say to my photographer, “Are you ready to head for the GRZ House?” I think that’s the moment when my resin heart skipped a beat because I knew that house was the primary focus of our entire trip. Not only did James and Lucretia Garfield own that home from 1863 to 1872, but there’s also been alleged paranormal activity within its historic walls as well. While I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghosts, it didn’t matter – the spirits who still go bump in the night on Hinsdale Street have been reported to be very friendly. And that was important since we had a very impressionable ten-year-old girl in our tour group, and she didn’t need to be afraid. As a matter of fact, I overhead Tom mention to his wife he wasn’t going to tell Reese about the possibility of the Garfield House being haunted – he wanted to see if the youngster experienced any paranormal activity on her own.
At roughly 12 noon, we arrived at the Garfield-Robbins-Zimmerman House, which was located on Hinsdale Street next to Hiram College’s Henry Hall. With me tucked comfortably inside Tom’s camera case, our small group followed Peggy Painley into the home through the backdoor. Upon Tim Garfield’s suggestion, we headed through the entire house, bypassing the modern addition, and we began our tour in the original living room of the home. I had to admit, my senses were on high alert for anything out of the ordinary; but nothing ever happened – at least to me or my photographer.
The historic house was built in 1853 for the original owner Horace Brown. Nine years later, in November 1862, Brown rented the house to the newly elected Congressman from Ohio, James Garfield, and his wife Lucretia. Before he got involved in politics, James became a self-taught lawyer; plus, he was also an instructor at the college and served as its President until the outbreak of the Civil War.
The Garfield’s loved the place and purchased the home in April 1863, while the Congressman/General was still in battle during the Civil War. By December 1863, General Garfield resigned his commission and took his seat in the United States House of Representatives. Suring his early years in Congress, at the end of the Civil War, Garfield was a radical Republican and supported a movement to exile or execute Confederate leaders. And while he reluctantly supported President Lincoln’s re-election, Garfield refused to campaign for Honest Abe.
Even though Congressman Garfield lived in a rented house on Washington’s I Street, alongside Franklin Park, he did his best to return to Hiram whenever possible. As a matter of fact, three of the Garfield’s first five children were born in the house on Hinsdale Street, including James Rudolph Garfield, the great-grandfather of our host, Tim Garfield.
The Garfield children adored their father, who did his best to provide them everything he didn’t have as a child himself. In 1892, daughter Mollie wrote an article in ‘The Youth’s Companion’ where she began by saying, “My father was not only our guide and counsellor; he was our comrade. He was interested in all we were thinking about and doing. He was the director of our work, the willing sharer of our play.”
At one point during our visit, Tom set me down on the original living room floor. A minute or two later, I saw Tim standing nearby as he talked with my photographer. Then I had an epiphany; the revelation struck me like nothing before. At that moment, as I looked up at the 72-year-old Automobile Service Manager from Twinsburg, Ohio, I thought to myself, “The last Garfield to stand where Tim is standing was James A. Garfield himself.” That immediately sent shivers up and down my stainless-steel spine.
But what struck me as even more phenomenal, and I know my photographer felt the same way, was the way Tim interacted with Reese. Mr. Garfield made the youngster feel special, and I know in my resin heart Tim’s great-great-grandfather would’ve been very proud. And for some strange reason, I felt James was there as he watched our every move – and he definitely approved.
During our tour of the home, which lasted about 40 minutes or so, Tom and I got to know Tim Garfield a bit better. The first thing I realized was how humble the man was, even though his bloodline flows through our history books. I listened as Tim said, “My great-great-grandfather, as President, was known for one thing – and that’s for being assassinated. He wasn’t in office long enough to get anything accomplished.”
Then our host paused, and said, “But the more I’ve read and researched about the man, the more I realized how much more he did besides being elected President. He was a teacher, an amazing orator, a man of faith, and we still feel his impact at Hiram College today. My great-great-grandfather served our country during the Civil War, and he also served our nation in Congress for over fifteen years. And most importantly, at least in my eyes, was the fact he helped raise some pretty incredible children who went on to do some great things in their own right. Because of all those factors, that’s the reason we started The Garfield Trail; it was to keep James A. Garfield’s amazing legacy alive for future generations, such as Reese.”
Near the tail-end of our visit, while the others were in a separate room in the house, my photographer pulled Peggy aside to ask her about the alleged paranormal activity in the home that had been reported in the past. Tom wanted to keep his question on the downlow as not to frighten his granddaughter. Peggy smiled and said, “It’s all true. I’ve never personally experienced anything in this house, but I know others who have. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of buildings in Hiram that are filled with paranormal activity; my office included. But the good thing is – the spirits are very friendly. They don’t do anything to harm anyone; they just let you know they’re still around.” And with that, we met up with the others and headed outside.
Before we went to lunch, Mr. Garfield took a moment to pose with his newfound ten-year-old admirer on the porch of the historic home. It was a touching moment; one that will go down in the annals of my travels. After all, Tim Garfield was the first direct descendent of a President my photographer had ever met in person – and his granddaughter Reese got the opportunity to meet one on her first-ever historical trip. And the funny thing was, she wouldn’t have been able to experience any of it had she gone to school that day instead of traveling with us.
Back in the Jeep, Vicki followed Tim’s vehicle as he led us to the Kennedy Center. No, this wasn’t the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; that building is in Washington D.C. This Kennedy Center happens to be the epicenter of student activity at Hiram College, and it was where the Kennedy Center Bistro was located, which was where Mr. Garfield had arranged for us to have lunch.
Once inside the Bistro, Tim introduced us to three folks from Hiram College who graciously took time to join us for lunch. The first was James Thompson, who’s the Professor of Political Science at the college and the Director of the James A. Garfield Center for Public Leadership. James was escorted by two women, Katie Buzard and Tessa Leali, both of whom were Major Gift Officers for the college.
While I listened to my photographer converse with Thompson as the pair discussed political topics, the highlight for me was watching James interact with Tom’s granddaughter. The professor used his passionate and energetic teaching style, and tested Reese’s Presidential knowledge; while at the same time, the youngster munched on a chicken wrap. I had to admit, I was impressed with the kid’s knowledge, especially since she’s been interested in history for only the past year or so.
There was one thing Thompson mentioned that really stuck with me, and I know my photographer agreed with James’ philosophy, and that was when James said he was trying to train his students to have civil conversations when the topic was centered around politics. He said there is too much anger in our country today when it comes to the political arena, and his goal was to help change that mindset – even if it’s one person at a time.
With full stomachs, and with even fuller minds, our group bid farewell to Katie and Tessa and followed Tim and James on foot to our next stop – Koritansky Hall. Today, Koritansky Hall is used as a college classroom for political science. As a matter of fact, James Thompson’s office was located in the building’s basement, nearly next door to the office of our host Kathy Luschek, who is the Associate Director of the Garfield Institute.
The historic building I saw standing in front of me was built in 1842 as the Mecca Community Church in Mecca, Ohio. That white, wooden structure had a huge connection with James A. Garfield, which was right up my alley. It turned out Garfield, who later became known as The Preacher President, once delivered sermons at that church in Mecca in the late 1850s or early 1860s.
Due to its Garfield connection, Hiram College purchased the building in 2007; they had it disassembled a year later and then had the building moved 25 miles west to the college campus in Hiram where it was painstakingly reassembled board by board before being dedicated as the James A. Garfield Meeting House in 2009. On May 12, 2012, the meeting house was renamed Koritansky Hall in honor of Hiram’s Political Science Professor John C. Koritansky.
Once Kathy had led our group into the historic structure through the basement-level office area, the director took us on a tour of the meeting house itself. Although the building featured an upper loft, which was used as an area for students to kick back and relax, the lower grand hall was filled with tables where the students learned political science from James Thompson.
But during our visit, I saw more than just a classroom. I looked at the original oak wooden beams and knew if they could talk, they would tell a story of a future President’s faith inside that building. As I stood on a table and envisioned James Garfield preaching to the Mecca congregation, his great-great-grandson came into the room and silently took his place.
Then she appeared, almost out of thin air. Even though we didn’t experience any apparitions at the GRZ House, I wondered if this one had followed us to Koritansky Hall. The mysterious woman walked silently across the wooden floor before she slowly turned to face her audience. The woman, who stood roughly 5′ 3″ tall, wore a black dress, black hat, and she carried a small, black handbag. I noticed a small, round Red Cross pin on her right lapel; and a broach with President Garfield’s likeness was pinned at the woman’s neckline. At first, I thought the lady was looking at me through her small, oval-shaped wire-rimmed glasses. But once again, I took a back seat to a cute ten-year-old girl. Suddenly, I noticed a shy grin appear on the woman’s face; she looked at Reese and said, “Hello, I’m Lucretia Garfield. Who may I have the pleasure of meeting?” By the look on the youngster’s face, especially when I saw her mouth drop open in total awe, I knew my photographer’s granddaughter was instantly star-struck. Reese loves learning about the Presidents, but she loves learning and hearing stories about the women in history equally as much – and I think that’s very cool.
During the twenty minutes or so Lucretia stood and talked with our group, I looked to my left and saw Reese sitting next to her grandfather. The funny thing was – I couldn’t tell which one was more awestruck. To be honest, so was I. Debbie has an incredible gift, and that was to bring this relatively unknown woman to life in such a way that made it feel like we were transported back in time to 1910. The portrayal made us realize what an intelligent and strong woman Lucretia was, and how she taught her children and grandkids to have a hopeful outlook on life – even after the tragic death of her husband. But the one nugget of information Lucretia had shared with Reese that took the youngster aback was when Mrs. Garfield shared her secret of the President’s favorite meal, one which James preferred when Lucretia cooked for him at home. When Reese heard the words “squirrel stew” come out of Lucretia’s mouth, the ten-year-old let out a slight gasp in disgust. As for me, I envisioned the Garfield boys, Hal, James, Irvin, and Abram, as they set peanuts out as bate for their father’s stew.
As the hands on the clock moved closer to the three o’clock hour, Tim finished our visit at Koritansky Hall by telling a story about the sandstone sculpture of his great-great-grandfather which was erected in 2009 in the courtyard just outside the historic meeting house. Shortly after the statue was put in place, the President’s head was severed from his neck, and there were no clues as to who the perpetrators were. Was it a student prank? Were the assailants from another town? After months of head-scratching by local officials, word leaked out as to the head’s whereabouts, and it finally made its way back onto the shoulders of our 20th President. In an effort to discourage thieves from committing a copycat crime, a GPS tracking chip was embedded into the head. I laughed and thought to myself, “It’s one thing to get ahead in school, but not at the expense of James A. Garfield.”
Our final stop of the day was scheduled for the Hiram College Library where Tim had arranged a behind-the-scenes tour of the school’s archives, which he said contained some interesting artifacts associated with his famous ancestor. Since the library was located across the street from Koritansky Hall, our entire group, which consisted of Tim Garfield, Kathy Luschek, Lucretia Garfield, Tom, Vicki, Reese, and of course, me, made the short pilgrimage to the large, brick building where we met up with Library Director Andria Morningstar-Gray.
Once we had made it to the coveted archival room inside a section of the library, Andria went to work as she showed us a very impressive display of artifact associated with our 20th President. And let me tell you, my resin jaw nearly dropped to the floor when I saw what Andria had set out for us.
After we examined some original Garfield family lithographs, Andria brought out the heavy artillery, which included a silver water pitcher that was gifted to James Garfield by a hose brigade during his 1880 Presidential campaign. Then the Director pulled out an original 1880 campaign button, which featured an image of Garfield on the front.
One of the highlights for me, however, was when Andria opened up a large book filled with newspaper clippings that documented Garfield’s assassination and the trial of his assassin. I watched in wonderment as Tim and Reese examined each page of the ancient folio that was impeccably constructed by someone who had an obvious passion for the murdered 20th President.
As awesome as all of the artifacts were, the pièce de résistance for me came when Tom placed me next to a handwritten letter signed by the main man himself. It turned out Garfield had penned a ‘Farewell’ letter to the college, which was dated June 24, 1853. Even though the letter was over 170 years old, I was able to read every eloquently inscribed word on the single sheet of paper, which began with “Farewell”, and continued with, “The time has arrived when our sojourn together for many bright days must now draw to a close.”
James Garfield had a rough, tough, and strong side, but he also had a soft, tender side as well; and that was very evident in his heartfelt letter to the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute – a place where he studied, taught, preached, and called home for well over a decade.
Our visit with Andria, as well as with the historic artifacts in the college library archives, had drawn to a close and it was time for my family to say their goodbyes to our incredible hosts. It was a sad moment for me when Reese walked over to where Lucretia and Tim were standing, and I saw the ten-year-old give each one a huge hug. There was no doubt Reese had developed a bond with both of them; and it was a connection – a conduit from the past to the present – the youngster will never forget.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Tim Garfield handed Reese and Tom colorful bags filled with souvenirs and mementos associated with his famous great-great-grandfather – including a James A. Garfield bobble head. At first, I was a bit jealous – I felt like a child whose parents bring home a newborn sibling. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized what an amazing gesture that was. It was a President Garfield bobble head, gifted to my photographer by the President’s great-great-grandson. It doesn’t get much better than that – although Reese thought her gifts, particularly the two books, were great as well; especially after the youngster asked Lucretia and Tim to sign the two biographies.
It was after four o’clock in the afternoon and our time at Hiram College had come to an end. Tom, Vicki, Reese, and I had just spent over five hours with some of the friendliest, warmest, kindest, and welcoming folks we’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. All of our hosts had rolled out the red carpet for us during the visit and they made us feel very special.
After a final goodbye, hug, and handshake with Tim Garfield in the Kennedy Center parking lot, our host disappeared inside the vehicle with the Ohio license plate T GARF.
We had a 40-mile drive from the college to our hotel in Mentor; and at one point during the journey northward through the mist and the day’s last sunlight, I listened as my photographer mentioned to his granddaughter that he heard the Garfield House was haunted. Tom hadn’t said a word to her before that as he didn’t want the child to be afraid to go inside the home. But as soon as my cameraman mentioned possible ghosts, Reese shocked her grandparents by saying, “That explains the two knocks I heard in the dining room. I was watching you, and Tim, and Miss Peggy all talking in the middle of the room when suddenly I heard two distinct knocks on the doorway closest to me – and there wasn’t anyone standing near it.”
When I heard Reese recount her experience in the GRZ House, I was a little jealous; and I think Tom was as well. The two of us had hoped for an unexplained encounter, but that never happened. At the end of the day, however, the two of us were glad the experience didn’t seem to faze the young girl whatsoever.
At about 5:30pm, Vicki pulled into the parking lot of the Holiday Inn Express in Mentor. We were in close proximity to the first scheduled site in the morning, as the Garfield’s home, known as Lawnfield, was only two miles down the road. After my photographer’s wife registered in the hotel’s lobby, the four of us went to our room where Tom immediately set me alongside the television set. While my photographer ordered a Papa Johns pizza delivery, Vicki and Reese donned their swimsuits and went to the pool.
After dinner, it was easy to see my three companions were exhausted from a long day of travel. By seven-thirty, Tom had extinguished the lights in the room and everyone, but me, was fast asleep. Alone in the darkness with my thoughts, my head was filled with a countless number of highlights from our time in Hiram. The unbelievable part, at least for me, was how one small email sent by my photographer, where he asked permission for us to visit one home, resulted in us meeting eight amazing people who brought James A. Garfield to life for us in a most special way.
While I looked forward to Saturday morning’s tour of Lawnfield, as well our return trip to Lake View Cemetery for my sixth visit to the Garfield Memorial, there was no way possible for anything to top what the four of us experienced that Friday in Hiram, Ohio. Unless, of course, President Garfield made an appearance himself.
** THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO TIM GARFIELD & HIS FRIENDS, PEGGY PAINLEY, JAMES THOMPSON, KATIE BUZARD, TESSA LEALI, KATHY LUSCHEK, ANDRIA MORNINGSTAR-GRAY, AND LUCRETIA GARFIELD FOR THEIR TIME, HOSPITALITY, AND GENEROSITY DURING OUR VISIT TO HIRAM **
*NOTE* IF YOU, OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW, IS INTERESTED IN DONATING MONEY TO A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, PLEASE CONSIDER SENDING A DONATION TO HELP RESTORE THE GARFIELD-ROBBINS-ZIMMERMAN HOUSE IN HIRAM, OHIO. HELP KEEP THE SPIRIT OF JAMES A. GARFIELD ALIVE!
Great job, Tom! What a great experience for Reese and her grandparents. I really enjoyed this series.
Aunt Sally