Sandburg House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Sandburg House
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Lake Michigan side
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | Poet's Path, Harbert, Michigan |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1928 |
| Architect | Lilian Sandburg |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Georgian Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001470 |
| Added to NRHP | April 14, 1972 |
The Sandburg House is a special old home located right by Lake Michigan in Harbert, Michigan. It was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, which means it's an important historical building!
Contents
History of the Sandburg House
Building a Lakeside Home
In 1926, a famous writer named Carl Sandburg finished the first part of his book about Abraham Lincoln. He was very tired from all his writing. So, Carl and his family left Chicago for a summer vacation. They found a cozy cottage near Harbert, with a great view of Lake Michigan.
The Sandburg family loved the area so much that they stayed through the fall. A few years later, they decided to build their own house right on the lake's shore. Carl's wife, Lilian Sandburg, was the one who designed this beautiful home.
Life and Writing at the House
The Sandburgs lived in this house all year long for almost 20 years. Carl Sandburg kept writing here. It was in this house that he wrote the second part of his Lincoln book. This book, called Abraham Lincoln: The War Years, won a very important award in 1940. It was the Pulitzer Prize for history, which is given for excellent writing.
One day, Carl's daughter, Helga, asked if she could have a cow. Instead of a cow, the Sandburgs bought goats! Lilian Sandburg became very good at raising goats. She even started her own "Chikaming Goat Farm." In 1940, Lilian won two big awards for her prize-winning goats.
Moving On
By 1945, the Sandburg family felt that the winters in Michigan were too cold. They decided to move to a different house in North Carolina. That house is now a national park called the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site. The Sandburgs sold their Michigan home in 1947.
About the Sandburg House
The Sandburg House has many stories and was designed by Lilian Sandburg. It mixes styles from Colonial Revival and Georgian Revival buildings. Imagine a house that looks like it has parts from old American and English homes!
The house sits high up on a steep hill that goes down to the beach of Lake Michigan. On the side facing the lake, the house is three stories tall. But on the side facing the land, it's five stories tall! This is because of the sloping hill. The house has many windows that look out over the beautiful lake.
