Benjamin Harrison: The 23rd President

Tour through Benjamin Harrison’s house and discover the life and legacy of the 23rd US President


Take a trip to Indianapolis and peek into a president’s parlour for a house tour like no other.

After introducing the neighbourhood, we will guide you around the historic home of the 23rd President of the US and look at some of the 10,000 objects on display – each one revealing a story about the man and his family.

From being a Civil War general who led from the front with a cry of “Come on, boys!” to chasing his grandchildren’s pet goat down the road outside the White House, there is much to learn about Benjamin Harrison.

• See how Harrison’s Front Porch Campaign was conducted – before there was a porch!
• Find out how he championed African-American rights and was ahead of his time with conservation policies.
• Learn about his involvement with the longest US jury trial of the 19th century.
• Discover what a rattle, a ribbon, and an axe have in common.*

Harrison was first and foremost a family man. This tour takes you into the private quarters, including bedrooms and sitting rooms. You can check out wife Caroline’s art, her plans for the White House, and her involvement with the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution). Admire daughter Mary’s ostrich-feather cape, which she wore when presented to English royalty, and see daughter Elizabeth grow from the cute, curly-haired little girl to a glamourous 1920s woman. From family photos right down to the burn-mark from an iron on the pantry shelves, this book gets inside the family home and reveals all.

The tour finishes with the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site today – the research library, the promenade and grounds – and leaves you with a real sense of the Harrison legacy. Complete with a biography, timeline, and quotations, this book is a fascinating introduction to the man and his mansion.

*For the answer, see pages 26–27!