Edward Bellamy House facts for kids
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Edward Bellamy House
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1971 National Park Service photo
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 91–93 Church Street, Chicopee, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1852 |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000091 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 11, 1971 |
| Designated NHL | November 11, 1971 |
The Edward Bellamy House is a special historic building in Chicopee, Massachusetts. It's known as a National Historic Landmark. This house was the home of Edward Bellamy for most of his life. He was a famous writer and journalist. He wrote about a perfect world, often called a Utopia.
Edward Bellamy lived in this house from when he was a baby. He grew up there and later returned after his studies. He wrote many of his famous works in his father's study. One of his most famous books, Looking Backward, was written here. This book made him very well-known.
Today, the Edward Bellamy House is partly a historic house museum. This means you can visit it to learn about Edward Bellamy and how people lived back then.
Contents
Exploring the Bellamy House
The main part of the house has two floors. It has a front door and several windows facing the street. A porch stretches across the front of the house. There's also a small round window in the triangular part of the roof.
House Additions and Layout
The house has three extra parts added to it. One part extends from the back. Another two-story section is on the right side of the main house. A smaller, single-story part extends even further right. The main house is known as 91 Church Street. The separate entrance for the two-story addition is 93 Church Street.
Inside the main house, a staircase leads up from the front door. To the left, there's a living room, called a parlor. Behind the parlor is the dining room. The kitchen is in the first addition at the back. Both the parlor and dining room have fireplaces with black marble. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms. One bedroom might have been used as a study because it has a built-in desk and bookshelves.
The two-story addition and the part next to it can be used as a separate living space. This area has been used for different things over the years.
A Look at History
The Edward Bellamy House was built in 1852. Edward's parents, Rufus and Maria Bellamy, moved into the house when Edward was a baby. Rufus Bellamy was a local minister. The house was built on a high spot in Chicopee. From there, you could see the busy factory areas of Chicopee Falls. This neighborhood was a wealthy area where factory owners lived.
Edward Bellamy's Life Journey
Edward Bellamy was the third of four children. He went to Union College in 1867. From 1868 to 1869, he lived in Germany. He also worked as a journalist in New York City for a short time.
From 1872 until he passed away, the Bellamy House was his main home. He did travel sometimes to try and improve his health. He had a serious illness that eventually led to his death. In 1882, he married Emma Sanderson.
In 1886, Edward and his family moved back into the house after his father passed away. In 1887, he published Looking Backward. This book became very popular very quickly. It brought him a lot of attention. Edward Bellamy passed away at home in 1896.
The House After Bellamy
A neighbor said that Bellamy first used his father's study for writing. Later, he used other parts of the house too. He would leave piles of papers everywhere! When Bellamy helped start a newspaper called the Penny News, it began right in this house.
The Bellamy family owned the house until 1905. Then, it was sold to a photographer. He divided the house and used one side for his business. He also added to one part of the house and replaced a barn with a garage. In 1965, the house was sold again. The new owner mainly updated the kitchen.
The Edward Bellamy House was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1971.
In 1974, the Edward Bellamy Memorial Association bought the house. They worked hard to restore it in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, the association runs part of the house as a museum. They rent out the other part to help pay for the house's upkeep.
Bellamy and His Hometown
Even though Edward Bellamy lived in Chicopee his whole life, he often kept to himself. He didn't like being in the spotlight. He avoided social events, even after his book Looking Backward became famous. He wasn't widely known in his own town. He once said he really disliked change.
However, Bellamy did get ideas for his stories from his community. For example, the main character in Looking Backward has the last name of one of Bellamy's neighbors. Some of his other stories are clearly set in towns that look a lot like Chicopee Falls.
See also
In Spanish: Casa de Edward Bellamy para niños
