George Perkins Marsh Boyhood Home facts for kids
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George Perkins Marsh Boyhood Home
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Location | Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, Woodstock, Vermont |
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| Area | 40 acres (16 ha) |
| Built | 1805 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Part of | Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park (ID03000282) |
| NRHP reference No. | 67000023 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 11, 1967 |
| Designated NHL | June 11, 1967 |
| Designated CP | August 26, 1992 |
| Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park | |
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Carriage road within the park
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| Location | Windsor County, Vermont, United States |
| Nearest city | Woodstock, Vermont |
| Area | 643 acres (260 ha) |
| Established | August 26, 1992 |
| Visitors | 29,049 (in 2011) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park |
| Interactive map | |
| Designated | August 26, 1992 |
| Reference no. | 03000282 |
The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock, Vermont, is a special place that helps us learn about nature and history. Its main building is the George Perkins Marsh Boyhood Home, also called the Marsh-Billings House.
This house was built in 1805. It was the childhood home of George Perkins Marsh, who was one of America's first great thinkers about protecting nature. Later, it belonged to Frederick H. Billings, a successful businessman who helped start the Northern Pacific Railroad. He was also a philanthropist, meaning he gave a lot of money to good causes.
Mr. Billings made the house much bigger and more beautiful. It became a great example of Queen Anne style design. In 1967, the house and its gardens were named a National Historic Landmark.
The park also protects the land where Frederick Billings created a carefully managed forest and a modern dairy farm. The park is named after Billings and other important owners: George Perkins Marsh, Mary Montagu Billings French, Laurance Rockefeller, and Mary French Rockefeller. The Rockefeller family gave this land to the United States government in 1992. It is the only National Park Service site in Vermont, except for a part of the Appalachian Trail. In 2020, the park was honored on Vermont's America the Beautiful quarter.
Contents
Exploring the Park's Features
The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park is located near Woodstock village. Right across the road is the Billings Farm & Museum. This is a working farm and museum that also used to be part of the Billings family's land.
You can park on the east side of the road. Park staff are there to help visitors at both the farm's visitor center and the park's own center. The area closest to the road has the George Perkins Marsh Boyhood Home. This beautiful house is the main building of the park.
The Historic House and Gardens
Even though the house was built in 1805, Frederick Billings made many changes to it. He turned it into the grand Victorian home you see today. You can take a guided tour of the house. It's a good idea to reserve your spot because tours have limited space.
Inside, you'll see many landscape paintings. These include works by Hudson River School artists. These paintings show how art helped inspire people to protect nature. The beautiful gardens around the house have also been brought back to their original look.
Trails and Nature Areas
Behind the house, the land stretches up a hillside for over 600 acres (240 ha). This area is a protected natural space. You can explore it using carriage roads and walking trails. These paths take you through different kinds of forests and landscapes.
There's a pond in the middle of the high valley. You can also find several spots with amazing views from the trails. The park goes all the way to Prosper Road on the west side. You can also start your hike from trailheads there.
A Look at the Park's History
The Marsh Family Home
Charles Marsh, a well-known lawyer in Vermont, built the main part of the house in 1805. It was a typical two-story house for its time. He raised his family there. His son, George Perkins Marsh, was born in Woodstock in 1801. He grew up in this house before going to Dartmouth College at age sixteen.
George Perkins Marsh followed his father into law and politics. He became a member of Congress in 1834. Later, he worked as a diplomat for Presidents John Tyler and Abraham Lincoln.
George Perkins Marsh and Conservation
Between the 1830s and 1860s, George Perkins Marsh developed important ideas about how people should care for the land. These ideas helped start the conservation movement in the United States. In 1864, he wrote a famous book called Man and Nature, or the Physical Geography as Modified by Human Behavior.
This book explained how past societies had declined because they didn't take care of their natural environment. Marsh urged people to take action to protect nature. He died in 1882, but his ideas continued to grow and inspire others.
Frederick Billings' Vision
In 1869, Frederick H. Billings bought the Marsh estate, which was then 246 acres (100 ha). Billings was from Royalton, Vermont. He became very wealthy as a lawyer during the California Gold Rush. He also helped create the Northern Pacific Railroad and was its president from 1873 to 1881.
Between 1869 and 1881, Billings made two big changes to the house. First, he added a new section and a special roof. Later, he hired architect Henry Hudson Holley to completely transform the building. It became the beautiful Queen Anne Victorian house we see today.
Billings also created a model farm on the property. This farm is now the Billings Farm & Museum next door. He also built 14 miles (23 km) of carriage roads through the higher parts of his estate.
The Rockefeller Legacy
The next important owners were Mary French Rockefeller (Frederick Billings' granddaughter) and her husband Laurance Rockefeller. Laurance Rockefeller was an important advisor on conservation to several United States presidents.
In 1992, he gave the house and the upland properties to the American people. This was the same year the park was created. The house and 40 acres (16 ha) of land around it were named a National Historic Landmark in 1967. This was because of its connection to Marsh and Billings, and its beautiful Queen Anne architecture.
You can visit the house for guided tours from May to October. There is a fee, and it's best to book ahead because tour groups are small.
Awards and Recognition
In August 2005, the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park received a special award. It was the first Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification given to a United States national park. This award came from the Rainforest Alliance's SmartWood program. This certification means the park manages its forests in a sustainable way. It was only the second federal land in the U.S. to get this award.
More to Explore
- First Congregational Church of Woodstock, Vermont
- F. H. Gillingham & Sons
- Franklin S. Billings
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Vermont
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Windsor County, Vermont
