The office of the President of the United States has been a revered position since its inception. Most presidents have lived in the White House during their time in office, except for George Washington who oversaw the construction of the White House. However, the National Park Service and other historic landmark societies have kept the presidents’ birthplaces, vacation homes, as well as homes lived in before and after their terms in good condition. These presidential homes make for great stops along the way for history buffs and casual travelers in the city of choice. Here are ten presidential homes around the United States to visit.
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Peacefield, John Quincy Adams
Peacefield, John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams, considered a founding father, was the 6th President of the United States from 1825 to 1829. During that time, he lived in the White House. But before that, he acquired Peacefield in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1787. The house was small and included 40 acres of farmland and orchards. Adams returned to the property in 1801, with his wife Abigail taking care of everything till then. As a historic landmark, there are tours through the house and surrounding area.
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Ulysses S. Grant Cottage
Ulysses S. Grant Cottage
Known as the commanding general of the Union Army, Grant led the Union soldiers to victory in the American Civil War in 1865. He was later elected as the 18th President of the United States, from 1869 to 1877. Grant owned a few homes in his 63 years of life, but one of his more notable homes also had the shortest stay. The Ulysses S. Grant Cottage in Gansevoort, NY, was a home to the former president for only a few days. Grant sat down at this historic landmark with the famous author Mark Twain to finish The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, before Grant’s death in the cottage on June 16, 1885. The house remains as it was during that time, and tours are available through this historic landmark.
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Lincoln Home National Historic Site
Lincoln Home National Historic Site
Known as one of the most popular US presidents of all time due to leading the Union Army to winning the American Civil War and signing into effect the legal end of slavery (Emancipation Proclamation, 1863), Abraham Lincoln lived in this home from 1844 to 1861. With twelve rooms over two floors, three of his four children were born in this Springfield, Illinois, home - it is the only home Lincoln ever owned. Lincoln was elected to President in 1860, moving to the White House later in 1861. Now owned by the National Park Service, along with the surrounding four blocks, tours are available.
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Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Springwood Estate
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Springwood Estate
In 1866, the ex-president’s father James Roosevelt bought this property as a one-square-mile plot. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, was born at and lived on the estate. The home was finished in 1940 and is now a historic site with tours in Hyde Park, New York. FDR visited this property frequently during his presidency. The Roosevelt Estate eventually grew to nearly 1,600 acres, of which 800 acres were native woods, 400 acres were orchards, pastures, tilled fields, and abandoned homes, and the remaining 400 acres were FDR’s tree plantations. Roosevelt was buried here near a sundial in the Rose Garden in 1945, his wife next to him in 1962.
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The Truman Home
The Truman Home
Located in Independence, Missouri, the Harry S. Truman National Historic Site was home to the 33rd President of the United States from 1919 to his death in 1972. Though Truman and his family were relocated to Washington, DC, when elected to Senate, they returned to the home frequently. After serving two terms in the office of the President, the family returned permanently. Now managed by the National Park Service, tours of the home are available.
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Monticello, Home of Thomas Jefferson
Monticello, Home of Thomas Jefferson
Known as one of the authors of the United States Declaration of Independence and 3rd President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson had a highly curated plantation home in Monticello, Virginia. Jefferson inherited this land from his father at age 26 and was originally 5,000-acres. The house on the property was built in a neoclassical style, using Romanesque cooling and heating techniques. Jefferson died at this plantation on July 4th, 1826. Tours are available.
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Woodrow Wilson House
Woodrow Wilson House
Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States, grew up in Augusta, GA. He would later be known as the president that helped end World War I, with a significant role in the failed, but important, Treaty of Versailles - along with winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919. The Woodrow Wilson House was purchased after his retirement, in Washington, DC. Wilson suffered a stroke and spent his final years here, ending with his death in 1924. The Woodrow Wilson House is preserved just as when he lived there, where the Georgian woodwork and extensive libraries add a simple and elegant flavor. Tours are available to see this home.
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Saxton-McKinley House
Saxton-McKinley House
Known as the “Campaign house” in Canton, Ohio; this residence was used to deliver campaign speeches for the 25th President of the United States, William McKinley. This Victorian house is true to era, with Victorian furniture and tours. The house is now a home for the National First Ladies Library, dedicated to preserving the knowledge and lives of Presidential First Ladies.
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James Monroe’s Highland
James Monroe’s Highland
James Monroe, the 5th President of the United States one of the original founding members of the US government, lived adjacent to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. Monroe lived at Highland from 1799 to his death in 1826, the home he spent the most time in. the plain home features tours, even those specifically focused on slavery on the plantation until 1828.
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George Washington’s Mount Vernon
George Washington’s Mount Vernon
Before the White House was built, the 1st US President George Washington lived at what his ancestor’s called Little Hunting Creek Plantation. Upon receiving the property, Washington would rename the property after his commanding officer Vice Admiral Edward Vernon. Later, after commanding a successful campaign against British forces, he would return to the 500-acres of land that sprawl out around the mansion sitting next to the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia. Washington lived here his entire life and died at Mount Vernon in 1799, and tours are available to see the home.