William McKinley's Birthplace: Niles, Ohio
Building a Replica of the Birthplace Home of President William McKinley
As a tribute to our 25th president, a replica of William McKinley's Birthplace Home was constructed by the McKinley Memorial Library. A Groundbreaking Ceremony for the project was held on Sunday, April 28, 2002. The McKinley Birthplace Home and Research Center project was completed and a Dedication Ceremony held May 4, 2003. In addition to the replica home, the structure also provides space for a library devoted to materials on President McKinley, a gift shop, a meeting room, and a youth programming room.
President McKinley was born on South Main Street on January 29, 1843 in Niles, Ohio. The original house was very small, measuring thirty three feet across with a depth of fourteen feet. The house contained eight rooms, with four rooms on the first floor, and four rooms on the second floor. The house was moved twice from the original site before it burned down in 1937.
In 1994, National City Bank donated, to the City of Niles, the former McKinley Bank Building and land, which stood on the site of the former McKinley house. Through the efforts of State Senator Anthony Latell, Niles received $83,000 from the State of Ohio, which covered the cost of the demolition of the McKinley Bank Building in 1999.
In 2001, the City of Niles donated the former McKinley Bank site property to the McKinley Memorial Library. The Library purchased the adjacent Olde Main Ale and Chowder House for additional land around the McKinley Birthplace Home. The demolition of the Olde Main took place in the fall of 2001.
Olsavsky-Jaminet of Youngstown, Ohio was the architect for the project, and DSV Builders of Howland, Ohio was the general contractor.