Peter Miller
Presidential Birthplaces
Not every great leader was born with wealth and privilege. In fact, some of the greatest U.S. presidents came from the most humble of abodes. In honor of this Election Day, we took a look at some of our favorite presidential birthplaces.
1.) Abraham Lincoln
Arguably one of the greatest leaders in our nation's history, Abraham Lincoln could not have come from a more humble beginning. This one-room cabin in Hodgenville, Kentucky, measured only 16 ft. x 18 ft., had a dirt floor, a stone fireplace, and a single window.
2.) Dwight Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower was born in this simple 2-story frame house in Denison, Texas. He was the first U.S. President from Texas--although he didn't know that until he was an adult. Eisenhower's family moved to Kansas when he was 2 years old, and he had no knowledge of his Texas origins until a local school principal named Jennie Jackson contacted him and asked if he was related to the Eisenhower family of Denison. Once Eisenhower's mother confirmed that it was indeed his birthplace, Jackson set about raising funds to buy the home, which was then donated to the city of Denison. It is now operated by the Texas Historical Commission, and is a designated Texas Historic Landmark.
3.) Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton, our 42nd president, was born in the small town of Hope, Arkansas. He lived in this modest house in Hope with his recently-widowed mother and her parents until he was 4 years old. It was in this home that Clinton first learned about social equality, justice, and a commitment to serving others from his beloved grandfather.
4.) John Adams
John Adams, the second president of the United States, was born in this Quincy, Massachusetts saltbox house that was built in 1681. This historic American colonial structure still stands in its original location, surrounded by the six acres of land that Adams' father--a prominent deacon--bought soon after his birth. Adams lived in this house with his family until the age of 29 when he married Abigail Smith.
5.) Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant's parents paid $2 a month to rent this tiny home in Point Pleasant, Ohio. Grant was born in this home, but lived there less than a year--his family moved to Georgetown just prior to his first birthday. Today, this site is a historic house museum operated by the Ohio Historical Society, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Peter H. Miller, Hon. AIA, is the publisher and President of TRADITIONAL BUILDING, PERIOD HOMES and the Traditional Building Conference Series, and podcast host for Building Tradition, Active Interest Media's business to business media platform. AIM also publishes OLD HOUSE JOURNAL; NEW OLD HOUSE; FINE HOMEBUILDING; ARTS and CRAFTS HOMES; TIMBER HOME LIVING; ARTISAN HOMES; FINE GARDENING and HORTICULTURE. The Home Group integrated media portfolio serves over 50 million architects, builders, craftspeople, interior designers, building owners, homeowners and home buyers.
Pete lives in a classic Sears house, a Craftsman-style Four Square built in 1924, which he has lovingly restored over a period of 30 years. Resting on a bluff near the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., just four miles from the White House, Pete’s home is part of the Palisades neighborhood, which used to be a summer retreat for the District’s over-heated denizens.
Before joining Active Interest Media (AIM), Pete co-founded Restore Media in 2000 which was sold to AIM in 2012. Before this, Pete spent 17 years at trade publishing giant Hanley Wood, where he helped launch the Remodeling Show, the first trade conference and exhibition aimed at the business needs and interests of professional remodeling contractors. He was also publisher of Hanley Wood’s Remodeling, Custom Home, and Kitchen and Bath Showroom magazines and was the creator of Remodeling’s Big 50 Conference (now called the Leadership Conference).
Pete participates actively with the American Institute of Architects’ Historic Resources Committee and also serves as President of the Washington Mid Atlantic Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. He is a long-time member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and an enthusiastic advocate for urbanism, the revitalization of historic neighborhoods and the benefits of sustainability, including the adaptive reuse of historic buildings.
