Overview

The birthplace of Ronald Reagan occupies a second-floor apartment in the Graham Building, a two-story brick commercial block in the small Illinois town of Tampico. The location is widely cited as the site where the future 40th President of the United States first entered the world on February 6, 1911. The building and its neighbors reflect the scale and character of a late 19th-century Midwestern main street and are associated with the town's commercial life at that time.

Architecture and setting

Constructed in 1896, the Graham Building is typical of modest turn-of-the-century downtown architecture: a rectangular, red-brick façade, a ground-floor storefront originally serving local businesses, and an upper-level apartment or lodging space. The structure once contained a tavern on the ground floor from its opening until about 1915. Its scale and material match adjacent buildings, forming a cohesive streetscape that later contributed to recognition of the area as a historic district.

Birth, family, and early moves

Ronald Reagan was born in the apartment above the commercial space in early 1911. His family lived in Tampico only briefly; within a few months they moved to another residence in the same town. Those early months are often noted in biographical accounts because the apartment is the literal birthplace, but Reagan's formative childhood years took place elsewhere in Illinois and later in nearby communities. The Tampico birthplace therefore represents an important but early chapter in his life.

Preservation and historical recognition

The Graham Building and the block around it were recognized for their historical and architectural significance when the area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. That designation highlights the collection of commercial buildings that illustrate small-town development patterns in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The birthplace is interpreted in local history materials and draws visitors interested in presidential history, small-town heritage, and vernacular commercial architecture.

Visiting, interpretation, and significance

As a birthplace of a U.S. president, the Graham Building is part of the broader set of sites tied to Ronald Reagan's life and legacy. It is presented in local and regional interpretive resources as an artifact of early 20th-century life and as the physical starting point for a figure who later became prominent on the national stage. Those interested in visiting or learning more can consult local historical organizations and tourism guides for current access and interpretive offerings.

Notable facts and distinctions

  • The apartment is the actual place of birth but not the place where Reagan was raised; his family moved shortly after his birth.
  • The building dates from 1896 and originally housed a tavern on the ground floor until about 1915.
  • The block including the Graham Building was included in a historic district that earned listing on the National Register.
  • Location references: Tampico, Illinois, in the United States, and the site is commonly cited in biographies of Ronald Reagan, the 40th President.

For further reading and visitor information consult local archives and heritage organizations that maintain records and interpretive material on the Graham Building and the Tampico historic district. Many resources are available through regional historical societies and tour publications that place the birthplace in the context of early 20th-century American small towns.