Park–McCullough Historic House facts for kids
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Park–McCullough Historic Governor's Mansion
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | North Bennington, Vermont |
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| Built | 1864 |
| Architect | Diaper & Dudley |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| Part of | North Bennington Historic District (ID80000328) |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000090 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 26, 1972 |
| Designated CP | August 29, 1980 |
The Park–McCullough Historic Governor's Mansion is one of the coolest and best-kept Victorian homes in New England. It's a huge house with 35 rooms. The mansion sits on 200 acres (about 80 football fields) of land. You can find it near Vermont Route 67A in North Bennington, Vermont.
A rich lawyer and businessman named Trenor W. Park (1823–1882) built this amazing house. He was born nearby in Woodford, Vermont. Trenor Park made a lot of money managing mines in California. The famous New York architects Diaper and Dudley designed the house. It cost $75,000 to build, which was a huge amount of money back then! The Park family moved into their new home on Christmas Day, 1865. Later, in 1889–1890, Trenor's family updated the house. They did this to get ready for a visit from President Benjamin Harrison. He came to town to open the new Bennington Battle Monument.
The Park–McCullough Mansion is a great example of an American country house. It shows off the Second Empire style. It also has features from the Romantic Revival style, which was popular at the time. Today, a non-profit group owns the house. It is open for everyone to visit and explore!
Contents
Who Lived Here? The Park and McCullough Families
Trenor William Park: From Humble Beginnings to Wealth
Trenor William Park was born in Woodford, Vermont, on December 8, 1823. His family was not rich when he was growing up. By age 16, Trenor was already studying law. He became a lawyer in Vermont when he was 21. He married Laura V.S. Hall, the daughter of Vermont Governor Hiland Hall, in 1846. They had three children: Eliza “Lizzie” Hall Park, Laura “Lila” Hall Park, and Trenor “Train” Luther Park.
In 1852, Trenor, Laura, and Lizzie moved to San Francisco. Trenor's father-in-law, Hiland Hall, had been made a land commissioner there. Trenor became very successful in California. He managed the Mariposa mines for John C. Fremont. The Park family also made money from banking and railroads around the world. Trenor even served as president of the Panama Canal Railway. He also started the First National Bank in North Bennington, Vermont.
The family moved back to North Bennington, Vermont in 1863. They started building their "Big House" between 1864 and 1865. Trenor William Park even ran for vice-president of the United States in 1864.
Trenor Luther Park: A Life of Adventure
Trenor "Train" Luther Park (1861–1907) was Trenor William Park's son. He married Julia Hunt Catlin. Train went to Harvard and became a silk importer. He loved sailing and was a commodore of the New York Yacht Club. He even won the Roosevelt Cup in sailing! He and Julia sailed across the Atlantic Ocean 75 times.
Trenor and Julia had three children. After Trenor died in 1907, Julia and their daughter Frances moved to Paris, France. They also bought a large house called Chateau d'Annel. During World War I, Julia turned the Chateau d'Annel into a hospital for soldiers. In 1917, she was the first American woman to receive two special awards from France for her help during the war. These were the Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre.
Eliza Hall Park: The Lady of the House
Eliza “Lizzie” Hall Park (1848–1938) was Trenor William Park's older daughter. She married John G. McCullough in 1871. John was born in Delaware and became a lawyer. Lizzie and John had four children: Hall Park McCullough, Elizabeth “Bess” McCullough Johnson, Ella Sallie Park McCullough, and Esther Morgan Park McCullough. John G. McCullough later became the governor of Vermont in 1902.
After her mother passed away in 1875, Lizzie became the main person taking care of the house. When her father died in 1882, Lizzie bought out her siblings' shares. This made her and her husband the sole owners of the mansion. Lizzie continued to look after the house until she died in 1938.
Her son, Hall Park McCullough, inherited the house. But it was her daughter, Elizabeth “Bess” McCullough Johnson, who lived there until she died in 1965. After Bess passed away, no other family members lived in the house. In 1968, John G. McCullough II (Bess's nephew) offered the property to a new group. This group was called the Park–McCullough House Association.
The "Big House": A Look Inside
Trenor Park bought the land for the house from his father-in-law, Hiland Hall. The "Big House" was built between 1864 and 1865. It sits on almost 200 acres of land. The New York architects Diaper and Dudley designed it in the Second Empire style. Over time, the family owned more than 600 acres!
The house was first built as a summer home. The family would escape their New York home and stay here from May or June to September or October. Sometimes, they even spent winter holidays there. For 100 years, from 1865 to 1965, four generations of the Hall, Park, and McCullough families lived in the "Big House." The Park family moved in on December 25, 1865. Laura, as the lady of the house, chose all the furniture.
The house mixes many styles, like Second Empire and Gothic. It was very modern for its time! It had indoor plumbing, hot and cold water, and even gas lighting. Later, around 1910, some parts were changed to electricity. Most rooms had fireplaces for heat. If that wasn't enough, a steam boiler in the basement heated air for the first two floors.
Diaper and Dudley also designed the Carriage Barn. It was built between 1865 and 1866. Years later, it was updated for cars. It even had hardwood floors! The Park family's dog, Abe, had his own dog house. It was later turned into a playhouse for the children. It even had a tiny kitchen with a wood stove!
Many changes were made to the house after Lizzie and John took over. Around 1889–1890, a sitting room was added above the staircase. President Benjamin Harrison stayed at the house in August 1891. This was for the celebration of the Bennington Battle Monument. Lizzie and John added the Colonial Revival architecture style to the front hall in 1889. The main hall is 75 feet long. It has a big fireplace and a cozy bench built into the wall. The special wooden floor and wallpaper in the hall are from that 1891 renovation. Even with all the changes, the Park–McCullough house is still one of the best-preserved Victorian mansions in New England. It still has many original designs and items used by the family over 100 years ago.
When Lizzie first moved in, she chose a bedroom that she kept her whole life. It was next to her parents' master bedroom. When she married John G. McCullough, they continued to live in her childhood room. The "Big House" has 14 chimneys and 35 rooms! Twenty of these rooms are bedrooms. When it was first built, the house had 18 fireplaces that burned coal. All of them were made of Italian marble. Later, some fireplaces were changed to burn wood.
The house has two entrances. One was for guests arriving by carriage, located on the south side. The other was for those who walked, on the east side. When you enter from the south, you see a statue of Hiland Hall. On the first floor, you'll find the Morning, Library, Music, Dining, and Billiard rooms. They all open into a long hallway. The lady of the house used the Morning room to meet staff or write letters. The Library was also called the gentlemen's parlor. Trenor Park and John G. McCullough used it as an office. After John died, Lizzie changed it into another sitting room. The Music room was for quick visits from guests, usually lasting only 20 minutes. The dining room table might have been used by the McCulloughs in their New York home. There's also a smaller, round table for more casual meals.
The billiard room had cool gadgets. It had a billiard table that cost $803 around 1875! Lizzie also added an elevator in 1930 that went between the first and second floors. Only one bedroom on the second floor didn't have its own bathroom. So, a door was cut to connect it to a bathroom on a lower floor. This bedroom was once used by Esther Morgan Park McCullough, Lizzie's daughter.
Around 1940, part of the west side of the house was removed. This section included the original kitchen and parts of the servants' living area. Over time, the McCullough family also changed their gardens. At one point, they even turned them into a tennis court!
The Park–McCullough House Association
The Park–McCullough House Association was created in 1968. John G. McCullough II offered the house to them. It's a non-profit group run by a Board of Trustees. They have staff and volunteers who help out. The Association offers fun and educational programs for kids and adults. They give tours of the house and host many special events. In 1972, the "Big House" was added to the National Register of Historic Sites. The Association officially received the property in 1975 and 1984.
See also
