Arrowhead (Herman Melville House) facts for kids
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Arrowhead (Herman Melville House)
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Arrowhead in 2006; the piazza (porch) is to the right
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| Location | 780 Holmes Road, Pittsfield, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 44.909 acres (18.174 ha) |
| Built | 1785 |
| Architect | Capt. David Bush |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000126 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 29, 1962 |
Arrowhead, also known as the Herman Melville House, is a special historic house in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It was the home of the famous American writer Herman Melville from 1850 to 1863. This was a very busy time for him, as he wrote some of his most important books here. These include the famous novel Moby-Dick, Pierre, The Confidence-Man, and Israel Potter. He also wrote a collection of short stories called The Piazza Tales, which was named after the porch at Arrowhead.
The house, located at 780 Holmes Road in Pittsfield, was built in the 1780s. It started as a farmhouse and an inn. Melville had visited the area many times before, staying near his uncle's property. He loved the area so much that he bought Arrowhead in 1850. He lived there for twelve years, farming and writing. In 1863, his family moved back to New York City because of money concerns. Melville then sold the house to his brother.
Arrowhead stayed in private hands until 1975. That's when the Berkshire County Historical Society bought the house and some of the land. The Society worked hard to restore most of the house to how it looked when Melville lived there. Today, it is a house museum that you can visit during the warmer months. It is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
Herman Melville's Home: Arrowhead
Arrowhead was built in the 1780s by Captain David Bush. It was a wooden house with clapboard siding, and it was used as an inn. In 1844, the Bush family sold the property to a doctor named John Brewster. Six years later, in 1850, Dr. Brewster sold the property to the writer Herman Melville. When Melville bought it, the house was a simple rectangular building with two and a half stories. It had a large chimney in the middle.
Melville's Connection to Pittsfield
Herman Melville was born in New York City in 1819. His family moved to Albany, New York, in 1830 after facing money problems. Melville's uncle, Thomas Melvill, owned land in Pittsfield. Herman had visited his uncle's farm a few times when he was younger. He visited again in 1831 and then in 1832, when his mother brought the family to Pittsfield to avoid a cholera outbreak. These visits made Melville love the Berkshire area. In 1837, he even managed his uncle's farm for a while. During this time, his connection to the area grew much stronger.
In the summer of 1850, Melville, his wife Lizzie, and their son Malcolm came to Pittsfield for a vacation. This visit was special because his uncle was selling the farm, so it would be their last time there. On August 5, 1850, Melville met another famous writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne, for the first time. They instantly became friends. Melville loved the area and wanted to stay close to the Hawthornes. So, he decided to buy the Brewster farm, which was right next to his uncle's property. The property was known for its "extensive and splendid views." Melville bought the farm in September 1850.
Life and Writing at Arrowhead
Melville named his new home Arrowhead because he often found arrowheads buried in the ground while planting. He loved the peaceful surroundings. In August 1850, he described his daily routine at Arrowhead:
I wake up around eight and go to my barn to feed my horse. Then, I visit my cow and give her some pumpkin. After my own breakfast, I go to my work-room and start writing. Around 2:30 PM, a knock on my door reminds me to stop writing. Then, I go feed my horse and cow again.
It was at Arrowhead that Melville finished his most famous novel, Moby-Dick. This book is now considered one of the greatest American literary works. Nathaniel Hawthorne greatly influenced Melville while he was writing Moby-Dick. Melville even dedicated the book to Hawthorne, saying, "In token of my admiration for his genius, this book is inscribed to Nathaniel Hawthorne." Hawthorne also mentioned Melville in his own book, A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys, noting that Melville was "shaping out the gigantic conception of his 'White Whale'" while looking at Mount Greylock from his study window.
Melville included parts of Arrowhead in his stories. The piazza (or porch) on the north side of the house was added soon after he bought the property. Unlike most houses in the Berkshires, Melville chose to have his porch face Mount Greylock. He even dedicated his novel Pierre to the mountain. He wrote about the piazza:
It seemed wrong for a house in such a beautiful place not to have a porch where people could enjoy the view. It would be like a picture gallery without a bench; because what are these limestone hills but picture galleries, always changing with new scenes?
In his story "I and My Chimney," published in 1856, Melville described Arrowhead's large central chimney:
My house has no fireplaces on its outer walls. They are all in the middle, in one large central chimney. There are hearths on all four sides, two levels of them. So, when my family and guests warm themselves on a cold winter night, they are all facing each other, and their feet point to the same center. When they go to sleep, they all sleep around one warm chimney.
Melville lived, farmed, and wrote at Arrowhead for 13 years. He had many visitors, including Hawthorne, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., and Catharine Maria Sedgwick. Other well-known works he wrote there include the novels Israel Potter and The Confidence-Man, and the short stories "Bartleby, the Scrivener" and "Benito Cereno". However, his writing wasn't making much money. To help his family, the Melvilles moved to Pittsfield in 1862. The next year, he sold Arrowhead to his brother Allan. The Melvilles then moved back to New York City, where Herman later worked as a customs inspector.
Arrowhead After Melville
Melville still visited Arrowhead sometimes after his brother owned it. Members of the Melville family owned the house until 1927. It remained privately owned until 1975, when the Berkshire County Historical Society bought it. Over the years, much of the original land was sold off. The house also had some changes, like two new sections added. The piazza (porch) was removed in the 20th century, but a large window was added on the north side to keep the view of Mount Greylock. Arrowhead was named a National Historic Landmark in 1962.
Visiting the Museum
After buying Arrowhead, the Historical Society worked to make it look like it did when Melville lived there. They removed many changes inside the house and restored windows to their original size. The piazza was also rebuilt. Melville's upstairs study, where he wrote, was also restored to its original look.
Today, Arrowhead is a non-profit historic house museum run by the Berkshire County Historical Society. Part of the house is used for offices, but the rest is open to the public for guided tours. You can visit Arrowhead from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. It is located at 780 Holmes Road.
See also
- Herman Melville House, in Troy, New York, where Melville lived between 1838 and 1847
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Berkshire County, Massachusetts
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts
