Humble Starter Homes for Future Presidents

It’s hard to look at a picture of America’s surviving Presidents without feeling at least something.

Most folks will feel like at least half the guys in the picture are idiots. Others will just wish that one particular guy had been cropped out of the frame … or that another, fonder President had survived the ceaseless passing of time.

What seems unavoidable, though, is the sheer sense of wonder … the sense that what you’re looking at are more than mere men—for better or worse—but the embodiment of America’s government and foreign policies.

But figureheads can also become lightning rods. And while these guys wield some pretty immense power, they can also find themselves being blamed for even the most trivial of burdens …

Through it all, though—and especially when it comes to the Presidents you don’t like—it’s important to remember that virtually every one of these guys is a relatively average American.

Some were certainly luckier than others, but for the most part each one of our Presidents grew up in a home not unlike your own in a neighborhood that was not unlike your own either.

Let’s take a look:

Humble Beginnings for the "Bush Dynasty" Presidents

With W. tucked away painting and George Senior retired on a palatial estate in Houston, most Americans would simply assume that these guys are basically royalty. They were both born with silver spoons in their mouths and let the family fortune propel them on their way to success.

This has been the media story for ages and ages about the Bush family. To be honest, it’s a story that even we believed about the Bushes until we found what we’re about to show you.

Let’s look at what that "family fortune" bought them back in 1951:

That’s right.

The cookie-cutter "non-mansion" right there is where George W. Grew up in Midland, Texas before he headed off for boarding school. The average suburban yard really throws a wrench in the whole "silver spoon" story, too.

Sure, the Bush boys have nice houses these days. Every President has at least a decent-looking pad after they retire—seeing as how it can be pretty easy to get a decent job with their unique kind of resume.

Obama’s Once-Accessible Home

Back in 2012 when we last reported on this topic, we were surprised to see some of the modest accommodations that our Presidents favored before taking up office … but perhaps most of all, we were fascinated by just how cheap some of these pads were.

Barack Obama’s gorgeous masonry-faced former home in Chicago, Illinois is a perfect example of this. He lived here during his time in the Illinois Senate prior to his trip to the White House back in 2008.

This spacious, 10,500 square foot single-family home in the Windy City’s quiet suburbs was renting for as little as $2,000 a month just a few years ago.

That’s a small price to pay for a piece of Presidential history …

White Picket Fences for Clinton & Eisenhower

Much like Bush’s childhood home in Midland, Clinton’s birthplace and childhood home in Hope, Arkansas were converted into a landmark and museum back in 2009. Visitors come for the history and stay for the beautiful weather:

Meanwhile, Dwight D. "Ike" Eisenhower’s home is a testament to how Classic architectural style leads to everlasting curb appeal. Born here in Denison, Texas all the way back in 1890, Eisenhower shaped much of the future of the American presidency … and you can’t help feeling like his passion for the country was rooted in a deep personal connection he shared with it through this iconic American home …

Classic Americana for Reagan

Going for a stroll through Ronald Reagan’s boyhood home in Dixon, Illinois is like a blast from the past. With museum exhibits set up to make the home look as it did during the 30s and 40s, visitors can catch a glimpse of America—and the world—as one of their favorite Presidents saw it when he was growing up.

As the old saying goes; "You don’t know a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes."

And this is doubly true if you’ve walked to the man’s house and see the way he grew up. If you know where he’s coming from. We get so caught up in the news cycle and what’s "trending" that we forget many of our Presidents come from the same relatively humble origins as the rest of their countrymen. You can disagree with their politics all day, but you’ve at least got to give them that much.

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