Walt Whitman House facts for kids
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Walt Whitman House
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Walt Whitman House in Camden, New Jersey
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 Location in Camden County, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Location | Camden, New Jersey |
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| Built | circa 1848 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000461 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 29, 1962 |
The Walt Whitman House is a special old building in Camden, New Jersey, United States. It was the very last home of a famous American poet named Walt Whitman. He lived here during his later years, until he passed away. You can find it at 330 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. When Whitman lived there, this street was called Mickle Street.
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Walt Whitman's Life in Camden
In 1873, Walt Whitman faced some tough times. He had a serious illness that made it hard for him to move. In May of that same year, his mother, Louisa Whitman, also passed away. These events made him feel very sad. His mother was in Camden, New Jersey, when she died, and Walt arrived just a few days before.
He went back to Washington, D. C. for a short time, where he had been living. But soon, he returned to Camden to live with his brother, George. He paid his brother for a room and meals. They lived on Stevens Street, and Walt stayed there for 11 years.
Buying His Own Home
In 1884, Walt Whitman bought his own house on Mickle Street in Camden. He was 65 years old, and it was the first home he ever owned! He often called it his "shanty" or "coop" because it was quite old and worn.
His brother George didn't like the idea of him buying such a house. This decision caused some tension between them. Other friends also wondered why Whitman chose that house. One friend even said it was "the worst house and the worst situated." Another friend noted it "was the last place one would expect a poet to select for a home."
The House's History
The land where the house stands was bought in 1847. A clerk named Adam Hare paid $350 for it. It's likely that Hare was the one who built the house. When Whitman bought it, it was a two-story house with six rooms. It didn't even have a furnace for heat!
Before Whitman, a man named Alfred Lay lived there. He was the grandfather of one of Whitman's young friends. Whitman bought the house for $1,750. He got the money from selling a new edition of his famous book, Leaves of Grass. He also got a loan from a publisher named George William Childs.
Alfred Lay and his wife continued to live in the house for a while. They helped with cooking to pay part of their rent. They moved out in January 1885. Later, Whitman invited Mary Davis to be his housekeeper. She was a sailor's widow living nearby. In exchange for free rent, she moved in on February 24, 1885. She brought many pets with her, including a cat, a dog, two turtledoves, and a canary!
Famous Visitors and Writings
Many interesting people visited Walt Whitman at his Camden home. In 1882, the famous writer Oscar Wilde came to see him. They shared elderberry wine together. Wilde later said, "There is no one in this great wide world of America home I love and honor so much."
Another visitor, John Johnston, came in 1890 on a hot summer day. He described Whitman sitting in a large rocking chair. His shirt was open, and his sleeves were rolled up.
While living in this house, Whitman wrote several new poems. Many of them were about important public events. One poem, called "Ah, Not This Granite Dead and Cold," was about the completion of the Washington Monument. He published it in a newspaper in 1885.
Whitman often wrote in his bedroom. Visitors said it looked like a newspaper office. It was full of stacks of paper everywhere! He also put together a collection of his writings called November Boughs in this home.
Whitman's Final Years
Whitman's health was not good even before he moved into the house. It got worse after he had another serious illness in 1888. He started getting ready for his death. He even paid $4,000 for a special granite tomb, which he visited often while it was being built.
In his last week, he was very weak. He could barely lift a knife or fork. He wrote about his constant pain. He spent his final years working on the very last edition of Leaves of Grass. In 1891, he wrote to a friend that the book was "at last complete" after 33 years of work.
In January 1892, an announcement was published in a newspaper. Whitman asked that this new 1892 edition "absolutely supersede all previous ones." He wanted it to be seen as his final and complete poetic work. This last edition of Leaves of Grass is often called the "deathbed edition."
Walt Whitman passed away on March 26, 1892, just a few days before his 73rd birthday. Over a thousand people came to his Camden home to see his body before his funeral. In his last years, Whitman had grown to love his house and the city of Camden. He wrote that Camden "has brought me blessed returns."
The House Today
After Walt Whitman passed away, most of his belongings stayed in the house. In 1921, his heirs sold the house to the city of Camden. Five years later, in 1926, it was opened to the public as a museum. In 1947, the state of New Jersey took over ownership.
The Walt Whitman House is now a museum. It is run by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry. You can visit the house and see what it was like when Whitman lived there. The museum even has the bed where the poet passed away. It also has the notice that was taped to his front door announcing his death.
The house is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical site. The area around the house is also special. It was named the Walt Whitman Neighborhood in 1970.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Camden County, New Jersey
- List of museums in New Jersey
- Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site in New York
Images for kids
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Walt Whitman in his Mickle Street home the year before his death
