Darling Estate Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Darling Estate Historic District
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | Darlington Hill Rd., Burke and Lyndon, Vermont |
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| Area | 2,040 acres (830 ha) |
| Built | 1810 |
| Architect | Jardine, Kent & Jardine |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival; Neo-Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 10000911 |
| Added to NRHP | August 23, 2011 |
The Darling Estate Historic District is a very old country estate in Vermont, USA. It covers more than 2,000 acres (about 800 hectares) of land. This special place is located on Darling Hill Road, right on the border between the towns of Burke and Lyndon.
The estate was built in the early 1900s for Elmer Darling. He was born in Burke but became a successful hotel owner in New York City. The Darling Estate was one of the biggest estates in Vermont at the time. It includes a grand house called Burklyn Hall, which is a beautiful example of Colonial Revival architecture. It also has many farm buildings from the 1800s. Because of its history and beauty, the estate was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.
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Who was Elmer Darling?
Elmer Darling grew up in Burke, Vermont. He became very rich by running a famous hotel in New York City called the Fifth Avenue Hotel. In 1883, he started buying land on Darling Hill. This area was once known as Bemis.
By the early 1900s, Elmer Darling owned over 2,000 acres of farmland. This land covered a whole ridge (a long, narrow hill) north of Lyndon and west of East Burke. Many of these properties had been small farms since the early 1800s.
What was the Darling Estate like?
Elmer Darling turned his land into a "gentleman's farm." This means it was a large farm run more for pleasure and prestige than just for making money. The main operations were based at Mountain View Farm. This farm was located where Darling Hill Road and East Darling Hill Road meet.
In the 1890s, Darling built a very modern creamery, which is a place where milk products are made. He also started breeding Morgan horses, a special type of horse. He made sure all the old farm buildings were repaired and looked new again. He also planted many trees along Darling Hill Road, creating a beautiful tree-lined path that you can still see today.
Elmer Darling passed away at the estate in 1931. His family later sold Mountain View Farm in 1960.
What is Burklyn Hall?
Burklyn Hall is the main house on the Darling Hill ridge. It sits at the highest point of the estate. The house is very large, with three stories, and is made of wood. It has a strong foundation made of granite.
The main part of the house is square. It has a sloped roof with windows sticking out, and a special flat area on top called a "widow's walk." A long section of the house extends south. The front door faces north and has a huge, two-story entrance that looks like an ancient Greek temple. On the west side, there's a covered driveway called a porte-cochère. This connects to another building that holds a fancy billiard (pool) room.
Inside, especially on the main floor, you can see amazing carved wood and decorative plaster designs. Just south of the house are formal gardens and a small conservatory (a glass room for plants). The house is called Burklyn Hall because it is located right on the border between Burke and Lyndon. It was designed by the architectural company Jardine, Kent & Jardine and built between 1904 and 1908. Burklyn Hall had very modern features for its time, like elevators and a central vacuum cleaning system!
Images for kids
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Darling Hill Road near the Estate in late October
