u President Nixon’s childhood home was built by his father, Frank, a year before Nixon was born and today still features many pieces of furniture original to the home, including the bed in which Nixon was born.
that long-ago family: the daily cycle of rising, of eating meals together, and of toiling in the hillside citrus groves. The house exudes an almost palpable sense of the character of these people: honest, humble, believing in hard work, and above all, believing in the family. It is amazing to contemplate that from such humble origins in a small, frame house Richard Nixon would step out into the greater world—to a career that would take him from law school to military service during World War II, to the US Congress and the vice presidency, and ultimately, to the White House to assume the presidency itself.
and away to the south and west, and the surrounding vales incline toward a series of knolls a half mile or so distant. Even though this spot is now surrounded by suburban homes and is within earshot of the traffic on nearby Yorba Linda Boulevard, it is not difficult to imagine it as it was in the early 1900s, when the whole gently rolling area was dotted with lemon and orange trees interspersed with an occasional farmhouse. Nixon would later write, “For a child, the setting was idyllic. In the spring, the air was heavy with the rich scent of orange blossoms. And there [were] . . . glimpses of the Pacific Ocean to the west and the San Bernardino Moun- tains to the north.”
Frank Nixon built the house shortly after he and Hannah Nixon purchased the land. In all respects, the house is a modest one, with just over nine hundred square feet of living space. An open floor plan in the downstairs includes a combination living and dining room, Frank and Hannah Nixon’s bedroom, the kitchen, a storage room, and a bathroom. Upstairs is a small attic bedroom where the four Nixon boys slept. A tour of the interior of the house with a docent provides a sense of what close quarters these must have been for the house’s six occupants. Yet size notwithstanding, there is something quaint and charming about the place. It is bright and airy; it has handsome
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u The main room of the Nixon home, cozy by today’s standards, was the living, dining, and social center for the family.
hardwood floors and a lovely brick fireplace. The interior is furnished and appointed just as it was when the young Nixon family lived here. The dining table in the main room, set directly before a cozy bay window, was a family gathering place where Frank Nixon frequently discussed politics while Hannah Nixon presided over the kitchen. Among President Nixon’s recollections of his life in this house was the memory of his mother “standing outside the kitchen door in the chilly predawn air, beating [cake] batter with a big wooden spoon.” Standing in these rooms is like looking through a prism—one can almost feel the rhythm of the life of
Film and Displays
Armed with the insight gained from exploring Nixon’s birthplace, the visitor will find a tour of the museum and library all the more meaningful. Visitors are invited to view a short film titled “Never Give Up: Richard Nixon in the Arena,” which documents the major events of the president’s life. The film offers a broad, sympathetic overview, highlighting the triumphs of Nixon’s life while downplaying the low points, including the Watergate scandal that cost him the presidency. Regardless of one’s feelings about Richard Nixon the politician, it’s difficult to sit through the film and not feel some degree of appreciation for
M A R C H 2 0 1 1
PHOTO: THE RICHARD NIXON FOUNDATION
PHOTO: THE RICHARD NIXON FOUNDATION
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