Spiegel Grove’s Egg Roll Marks 40 Years

This year marks 40 years since children began gathering on the lawn outside Spiegel Grove to take part in a tradition that the Fremont estate’s former resident, President Rutherford B. Hayes, started during his time in the White House. This year’s event takes place April 4 from noon to 2 p.m. and features a traditional egg roll, scavenger hunt, story readings and crafts. 

Before there was ever a tradition of an egg roll on the White House lawn, kids gathered outside the U.S. Capitol building each spring — a tradition that started in the 1800s. Then, in 1876, President Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill that banned the use of the Capitol lawn as a “playground” citing the maintenance costs required to repair the damage done.

Two years later, according to the White House website’s version of events, a group of kids walked up to the White House gates hoping to be allowed to play egg-rolling games on the lawn there. Its resident at the time, Rutherford B. Hayes, obliged. From there, the White House Egg Roll once again became an annual tradition. It was suspended from 1917 to 1920 and from 1945 to 1952 before President Dwight D. Eisenhower reinstated the roll. In 1981, First lady Nancy Reagan added the tradition of giving a commemorative wooden egg to each child that takes part.

Spiegel Grove began hosting its egg roll in 1986 as a nod to Hayes’ role in making the event a White House tradition. Kids attending the April 4 event in Fremont are asked to bring three hard-boiled and decorated eggs to use in the games. No matter what spring in Ohio throws at us, the egg roll will go on. In the event of inclement weather, the day’s activities will be moved indoors.

For more information, visit rbhayes.org.

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