Laura Ingalls Wilder House facts for kids
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Laura Ingalls Wilder House
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 Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Location | 3060 Highway A, Mansfield, Missouri |
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| Built | 1895 |
| Architect | Almanzo Wilder |
| Architectural style | Bungalow/Craftsman |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000353 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 19, 1970 |
| Designated NHL | July 17, 1991 |
The Laura Ingalls Wilder House is a special place in Mansfield, Missouri. It was the home of the famous author Laura Ingalls Wilder from 1896 until she passed away in 1957. This house is also known as Rocky Ridge Farm.
Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote her popular Little House on the Prairie book series while living here. This house, along with the nearby Rock Cottage, is one of the few places where she lived that you can still visit today. After Laura's death, people in the area worked to buy the house. They wanted to save it and share her story. Today, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home Association owns the house. You can take tours and learn all about Laura's life there. In 1991, it was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a very important historical place in the United States.
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A Special Home for Laura
In 1894, Laura and Almanzo Wilder bought 40 acres of farmland. They paid $100 as a first payment. They decided to call their new home "Rocky Ridge." The first two rooms of the house were built between 1895 and 1897. Over the years, more rooms were added. By 1912, the house had ten rooms, just as it looks today.
Almanzo did most of the building work himself. He also got help from local carpenters and even Laura. They used materials found right there on their land.
Today, the house is a museum. It helps people learn about Laura and her amazing books. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. Later, in 1991, it became a National Historic Landmark.
What the House Looks Like
The Wilder house is made of wood and has a unique shape. It is mostly one and a half stories tall. Some parts of the house are almost two stories high. The original kitchen and another room are on one level. The house also has several porches where the family could relax.
Windows on the roof, called dormers, and in the gables let in light and fresh air. There are six rooms on the main floor. Upstairs, you will find three more rooms.
The Rock House: A Gift from Rose
A nice pathway leads from the main house to the Rock House. It's about one-third of a mile long. You can also get to the Rock House from a separate parking area.
The Rock House was built by Laura and Almanzo's daughter, Rose Wilder Lane. She built it as a special gift for her parents. Laura and Almanzo lived in the Rock House from 1928 to 1936. It was in this house that Laura, at 65 years old, began to write her famous Little House books. The Rock House is part of the Wilder Museum. However, it is not included in the National Historic Landmark listing.
See also
- Ingalls House (De Smet, South Dakota)
- Little House Wayside, Laura's birth site in Wisconsin with a replica of the "Little House in the Big Woods"
- Little House on the Prairie Museum, Independence, Kansas, with a replica cabin on the site of her homestead
