Herman Melville House (Troy, New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Herman Melville House
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2 114th St., Troy, New York |
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| Built | 1786 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian, Early Republic |
| NRHP reference No. | 92001081 |
| Added to NRHP | August 21, 1992 |
The Herman Melville House is a historic home located in Lansingburgh, a part of Troy, in Rensselaer County, New York. This house was the home of the famous American author Herman Melville from 1838 to 1847.
Contents
History of the Melville House
Building the Home
The house was first built around 1786. It was later updated in 1872 to look more like the popular Late Victorian style. It is a two-and-a-half-story building made of brick and timber, with a sloped roof. There is also a two-story section at the back of the house.
Melville Family Life Here
Herman Melville and his family moved to Lansingburgh in 1838. They moved because they needed to save money. Melville's brother, Allan, once wrote that the house was "very pleasantly situated on the bank of the Hudson." He noted that saving money was the main reason for their move.
During their time in this house, the Melville family faced some tough financial times. Herman's mother, Maria Gansevoort Melville, often relied on help from her family. She wrote letters asking her brothers for support.
Melville's Early Career
While living in this house, Herman Melville was very busy. He joined a local debating club and sent letters to the town newspaper. He also wrote some love poems. In 1839, he published a two-part story called "Fragments from a Writing-Desk." This story appeared in a local newspaper called the Democratic Press and Lansingburgh Advertiser.
Melville also tried to learn surveying at the Lansingburgh Academy. He hoped to find work with the Erie Canal, but this plan did not work out. In the summer of 1839, he took his first trip on a ship. He sailed for four months to Liverpool. When he returned, he taught at schools in Greenbush and Brunswick.
In 1840, Melville and a friend visited family in Galena, Illinois. After that, they came back to New York. It is believed that Herman Melville wrote his first two novels while he lived in this house.
Preserving the Home
Today, the Herman Melville House is looked after by the Lansingburgh Historical Society. They work to keep the house preserved. The house was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. This means it is recognized as an important historic site.
Other Melville Homes
- Arrowhead, which was Herman Melville's home in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He lived there from 1850 to 1863.
- List of residences of American writers
