Coolidge Homestead Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

Calvin Coolidge Homestead District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark District
U.S. Historic district Contributing property

The Coolidge Homestead, 1976.
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Location	Plymouth Notch, Vermont
Area	130 acres (53 ha)
Built	1872 (1872)
Part of	Plymouth Historic District (ID70000084)
NRHP reference No.	66000794
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHLD	June 23, 1965
Designated CP	December 12, 1970

The Calvin Coolidge Homestead District is a very special place in Plymouth Notch, Vermont. It was the childhood home of Calvin Coolidge, who became the 30th president of the United States. This is also where he took the presidential oath of office in a very unique way.

Coolidge lived here from age four in 1876 until he was 15. He then left to go to school at Black River Academy. Today, he is buried in the Plymouth Notch Cemetery, not far from his old home.

History of the Homestead
- The Oath of Office Moment
Exploring the Homestead District
- What You Can See Today
- Visiting the Site
Images for kids
See also

History of the Homestead

Plymouth Notch, Vermont. Coolidge was born in the back of the general store you see here.

Calvin Coolidge's father, John Coolidge, bought the home. He made it bigger, changing it from a small farm house to the size and look it has today.

Even though Calvin Coolidge lived most of his adult life in Northampton, Massachusetts, he often came back to the homestead. He loved visiting his family here.

The Oath of Office Moment

The first inauguration of Calvin Coolidge.

In 1923, President Warren G. Harding passed away suddenly. Calvin Coolidge was staying at his family home in Plymouth Notch at the time. Because he was the Vice President, he immediately became the new president.

His own father, who was a notary public (someone who can legally witness oaths), swore him in. This happened right in the family's parlor. It was a very simple but historic moment.

The house has been kept almost exactly as it was that night. This is because his father didn't want to modernize it. You can even see the lamp, Bible, and table used in the ceremony. They are still in their original spots, behind glass for protection.

Exploring the Homestead District

The Homestead District is more than just one house. It includes many buildings that show what life was like in the early 1900s. It's like a whole village frozen in time!

The district was named a National Historic Landmark in 1965. This means it's a very important place in American history.

What You Can See Today

Today, the Coolidge Homestead is part of the Calvin Coolidge State Historical Site. The state of Vermont takes care of it. They have worked hard to make the buildings look just as they did when Coolidge was president.

You can visit a Visitors Center to learn more. There's also the Coolidge Homestead itself. You can see a Farmer's Museum and the Plymouth Cheese Factory. At the cheese factory, there's a museum upstairs about how cheese was made long ago.

Other buildings include a One-Room Schoolhouse and the Union Christian Church. There's also the Carrie Brown Coolidge Garden, started by the President's stepmother. You can even see the "Top of the Notch Cabins," which were built in 1927 for tourists.

Visiting the Site

The site is located west and north of Vermont Route 100A in Plymouth Notch. It is usually open daily from late May to mid-October. You can visit from 9:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

Four generations of the Coolidge family, including the President, are buried nearby in the Plymouth Notch Cemetery. The Calvin Coolidge State Park is also close by, offering more outdoor fun.