The Harding Memorial on Delaware Avenue is one of the more impressive presidential monuments outside Washington, D.C. — a circular colonnade of forty-six white Georgia marble columns, 52 metres in diameter, enclosing an open rotunda where Harding and his wife Florence are buried. The classical design, by Cass Gilbert (who also designed the United States Supreme Court building), gives it real gravitas.
The site is open year-round as a public park; the grounds are well-kept and the marble gleams when the sun hits it. There is something poignant about visiting — Harding is consistently rated one of the least successful presidents, yet this monument is magnificent. The contrast between the grandeur of the memorial and the modest regard in which his presidency is held is itself a small piece of American history.