Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site facts for kids
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Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site
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Carl Sandburg's last house
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | Flat Rock, North Carolina, USA |
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| Nearest city | Hendersonville, North Carolina |
| Area | 246 acres (100 ha) |
| Built | 1945 |
| Visitation | 28,799 (2006) |
| Website | Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site |
| NRHP reference No. | 68000013 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 17, 1968 |
| Designated NHLD | May 23, 1968 |
| Designated NHS | October 17, 1968 |
The Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site is a special place in Flat Rock, North Carolina. It protects the home of Carl Sandburg, a famous American poet and writer. He won a Pulitzer Prize for his amazing work!
Sandburg and his family moved to this home, called Connemara, in 1945. He was from the Midwest, but he needed a quiet place to write. His wife, Lilian, also needed space for her champion dairy goats. Sandburg lived here for the last 22 years of his life. He wrote more than a third of his books while living at Connemara.
The site is huge, covering 264 acres. It includes Sandburg's house, the goat farm, and many other buildings. There are also rolling pastures, mountain woods, and 5 miles (8 km) of hiking trails. You can find two small lakes, ponds, gardens, and an apple orchard too.
Visitors can explore Sandburg's house. You can also visit the dairy barn to see Connemara Farms' goat herd. These goats are the same three breeds that Lilian Sandburg raised. In the summer, you can even watch live shows of Sandburg's Rootabaga Stories.
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The Home's Early History
Before the Sandburgs, this home had a long history. In the 1830s, a man named Christopher Memminger from Charleston, South Carolina bought the land. He wanted a summer home in Flat Rock.
In 1838, he started building a large house in the Greek-Revival style. He called his summer home "Rock Hill." The Memminger family spent most of their summers here. During the American Civil War, they even lived here full-time. The house was used as a safe place for friends during the war.
After Memminger passed away, his son sold Rock Hill to Colonel William Gregg, Jr. He made some changes to the house. He added new steps and a bay window. The Greggs used it as their summer home for about ten years.
In 1900, Captain Ellison Adger Smyth bought the house. He changed its name from "Rock Hill" to "Connemara." This name came from his family's home area in Ireland. The Smyths made the house ready for winter. They also added an eight-hole golf course in the pastures. The Smyths lived at Connemara as their permanent home starting in 1925.
The Sandburg Era at Connemara
Carl Sandburg bought Connemara on October 18, 1945, for $45,000. Mrs. Sandburg was looking for a new farm in a warmer place. She wanted to raise her Chikaming dairy goats. When she showed Connemara to her husband, he loved it right away. He reportedly said, "This is the place. We will look no further."
The Sandburgs started remodeling the house right away. They fixed the heating, plumbing, and roof. They also added new chimneys and bathrooms. Sandburg had a huge library, so they installed dozens of bookshelves. They even turned the old kitchen building into a three-car garage. The remodeling took about two and a half years. They also moved over 42,000 pounds of their belongings from their old house. Most of this was Sandburg's amazing library!
The Sandburgs lived at Connemara from 1945 until 1969. Carl and Lilian lived there with their three daughters, Margaret, Janet, and Helga. Helga's two children also lived there. Carl Sandburg wrote many of his famous works while living here. He passed away peacefully at this home in 1967.
After his death, Lilian Sandburg decided to sell Connemara to the U.S. government. She wanted to make sure the house would be a memorial to her husband. In 1968, President Johnson approved a law to make the home a historic site. The home officially opened to the public in 1974. The National Park Service restored the house. They also put clear covers over the bookcases to protect them.
Visiting the Site Today
Today, the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site welcomes over 85,000 visitors each year. The national park is open almost every day. It only closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
The U.S. government has named the goats at the farm a "historic herd." About fifteen goats live on the farm at any time. The inside of the home looks much like it did when the Sandburgs lived there in the 1950s.
In 2008, a law was passed to make the site even bigger. This helps protect the beautiful views and adds more parking. It also allows for a new visitor center.
The park also has a special program for writers. It started in 2010. New writers can live and work at the Carl Sandburg Home for three weeks in April. This helps them find inspiration, just like Carl Sandburg did!
Images for kids
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The Carl Sandburg National Historic Site is located in picturesque Flat Rock, North Carolina.
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View of the Blue Ridge Mountains from Sandburg's front porch
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Exhibit station at the start of the trail to the Sandburg Home
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Most rooms, including the study at the Sandburg home abound with books and periodicals.
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Sandburg parlor with piano; the Sandburgs were devotees of singing and musical instruments.
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The Sandburg kitchen
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Sandburg dining room with 1950s television set, used mainly for news and public affairs programs
