Steepletop facts for kids
|
Edna St. Vincent Millay House & Gardens (Steepletop)
|
|
Front (south) elevation of main house, 2014
|
|
 Location in New York
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | East Hill Road, Austerlitz, NY |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Pittsfield, MA |
| Area | 500 acres (200 ha) |
| Built | c. 1870 |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000534 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | November 11, 1971 |
| Designated NHL | November 11, 1971 |
Steepletop is a special farmhouse in Austerlitz, New York. It was once the home of Edna St. Vincent Millay, a famous poet who won the Pulitzer Prize. She lived here with her husband, Eugen Jan Boissevain.
Today, the Edna St. Vincent Millay Society takes care of the house and its beautiful gardens. This group also looks after Millay's writings. Steepletop was named a National Historic Landmark in 1971. This means it's a very important place in American history.
Right next to Steepletop is the Millay Colony for the Arts. This is a place where artists can come to work and create. It was started by Norma Millay Ellis, Edna's sister. The name "Steepletop" comes from a pink wildflower called Steeplebush that grows in the area. You can visit the house for tours, which started in 2010.
What is Steepletop Like?
Steepletop is a huge 500-acre (200 ha) property. It's located in a hilly, wooded area in New York, close to the Massachusetts border. This area is part of the Berkshires, which is known for its music, art, and outdoor fun. Nearby, you'll find Beebe Hill and Harvey Mountain State Forest. You can get to Steepletop by driving on East Hill Road.
East Hill Road goes right through the Steepletop property. One of the first buildings you'll see is the guest house. It's a two-story building with a pointed roof and brick chimneys. This building is now used as the Millay Society's offices.
Near the guest house is a stable, which is now a garage. It has a studio upstairs. There's also a barn with a curved roof.
The Main House
Across the road from the guest house is the main house. This was Edna Millay's main home for many years. It's a two-story white house with a steep, pointed roof. It has a chimney in the middle. The house is built into a hill.
The front of the house has a small porch with a gabled roof. This porch covers the main door. Inside, there's a hallway with a stone floor. You can see photos of Millay and art she collected. There's also a special desk made just for her.
Next to the hallway is a living room, called a parlor. It has a large brick fireplace. At the end of the hall is the dining room.
The kitchen is next to the dining room. It was updated in 1947 for a magazine story. There's also a pantry and a small room with a wood stove. A larger storage room holds recordings of Millay's poetry readings.
Upstairs, you'll find the library. All the walls are covered with shelves of Millay's books. Her bedroom is in the corner, with her original furniture and even some dresses she wore. There's also a newer bedroom that her sister used.
Northwest of the main house is a small wooden cabin. This was Millay's writing studio. Inside, it looks just as she left it, with a stove, a comfy chair, a desk, and magazines from 1949.
Other buildings on the property include an old icehouse. The Ellises, Millay's sister and her husband, turned it into a workroom. There's also a swimming pool area with a covered patio.
Millay's grave is also on the property. It's located off a dirt road that branches from East Hill Road.
History of Steepletop
The guest house is very old, built in the late 1700s. The main house was built later, around 1870. Edna Millay and her husband bought the property in 1925. It used to be a 635-acre (257 ha) blueberry farm. They loved the quiet country setting, which helped Millay focus on her writing. They lived there most of the time, except when they traveled.
Soon after moving in, they built the barn from a kit they bought from a store called Sears. Millay also grew her own vegetables in a garden. She had the small writing cabin built so she could have a quiet place to work. They even had a tennis court!
After World War II, in the late 1940s, Millay didn't leave Steepletop as often. Her husband died in 1949. A year later, she was found dead at the bottom of the stairs in the main house.
Her sister, Norma, and Norma's husband, Charles Ellis, moved into the house after Edna's death. In 1973, they started the Millay Colony for the Arts on part of the property. Norma managed the colony until she passed away in 1986. She even renovated the barn to create housing for visiting artists. Today, the colony still welcomes writers, artists, and composers from all over the world.
In 2006, the state of New York bought 230 acres (0.93 km2) of Steepletop land. This land was added to a nearby state forest. The money from this sale helped the Edna St. Vincent Millay Society restore the farmhouse and grounds. They turned it into a museum.
The museum opened to the public in 2010. Guided tours of Steepletop and Millay's gardens were available for several months each year. However, in 2018, Steepletop closed to the public because of money problems and the need for more repairs. They are still working to raise money and decide what the future holds for this historic home. Some parts of the grounds, like the Millay Poetry Trail, are still open for special events.
The Edna St. Vincent Millay Society continues to manage the main house and its surrounding buildings. They work hard to restore the property and keep it as a historic house museum to honor Millay. In 2003, a group called the Friends of the Millay Society created the Millay Poetry Trail. This trail leads to Millay's grave and has her nature poems posted along the path. It's a peaceful place for visitors to enjoy her words.
See also
