Canton, Ohio
President William McKinley died in office in 1901, after being shot by an anarchist at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. After his state funeral in Washington, DC, his body was transported by train to his hometown, Canton, Ohio. There, it spent time in the Wertz Receiving Vault in nearby West Lawn Cemetery while locals put a plan for his memorial into place.
McKinley National Memorial
The McKinley National Memorial Association successfully raised enough money to build the mausoleum on top of a hill in Canton, Ohio. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 6, 1905. The cornerstone followed a few months later. It was set into place by his widow, Ida McKinley, and other family members in November of that year. Overall, nine states contributed materials to the large domed structure, which has an interior made of Tennessee marble. Construction finished in September 1907, and the president was finally laid to rest.
With the structure built into the top of a hill facing a large reflecting pool that, when combined, is designed to look like a sword, the McKinley memorial is hard to miss. Even though the pool was filled in back in 1951, the impact is the same.
The memorial is filled with symbolism. Not only are there quotes on the walls surrounding the raised combined sarcophagus that holds both President and First Lady McKinley, who passed away in 1907, not long after the memorial was completed. The McKinleys’ children, Katherine and Ida, both of whom died young, are buried within the walls.
The skylight, seen above, has 45 stars. Each one represents the states that made up the U.S. at that time.
The doors (below) at the time they were set into place were the largest in the world.
The Basement of the Memorial
The basement of the McKinley Memorial is only open to the public for special pre-planned tours and events. It’s really interesting to see how the entire mausoleum is supported.
Thankfully, the memorial itself is open during museum hours, so you can see in person where the President and his family are laid to rest.
Found in Ohio 