Harding Memorial

General Information

The OES visited the Harding Memorial / Tomb on July 24, 2004. Located in Marion, the Harding Memorial is the final resting place for President Warren G. Harding and his wife Florence. President Harding was born in 1865 in Blooming Grove, Ohio. In 1884, Harding became the owner and editor of the Marion Daily Star. He married Florence Kling DeWolf in 1891, moving to their home in Marion. Before being elected the 29th President in 1921, President Harding served as Ohio State Senator, Lieutenant Governor, and United States Senator. On August 2, 1923, President Harding died still in office. Florence died a little over a year later on November 21, 1924. After the President's death in 1923, the Harding Memorial Association was organized to build and maintain the Harding tomb and to preserve the Harding home in Marion. More than 200,000 school children contributed pennies to the Association, raising a total of $977, 821. The monument was designed as a circular wall of white marble columns with a raised courtyard and hanging garden. To shade the tombs of the President and his wife, a Japanese maple tree was planted near their tombstones. The memorial was dedicated in 1931 by President Hoover, at a total cost of $783,108. The memorial was renovated in 1990 with Federal and state grants.

Location Information: Public Park

The Harding Memorial is located at the corner of Route 423 & Vernon Heights Blvd in Marion, Marion County.

Photographs