November 2010

The Whittier Home was always occupied by the Whittier Family until purchased by the Whittier Home Association in the early part of the 20th Century. Guided tour includes the historic house and artifacts as they were when Whittier lived there, as well as grounds and summer kitchen.

The Whittier Homestead is an outstanding example of the old New England farm, located on its original site, is substantially the same as when John Greenleaf Whittier lived there in 1807 until 1836. The homestead is the setting of his most famous and beloved poem Snow-Bound. Many settings from his poems are recognizable to those who have read them.

Fernside Brook still flows along, and the path over the stepping stones to Job’s Hill, the site of the old mill and the ancient family burial lot are to be found within 69 acres of the present Homestead property. The surrounding land inspired Whittier to write such poems as Fernside Brook, Telling the Bees, and the Barefoot Boy, with specific locations so accurately described that they may still be readily identified today.

Nebraska's poet laureate John G. Neihardt called Bancroft, Nebraska home from 1900 to 1920, and it was in this building that he wrote many of his works.

The building was erected on this site in the 1890s for August Hartman and used as a residence by various owners until 1964. Poet John G. Neihardt rented the building from 1911 through 1920 for a study. Here he wrote his lyrics, prose, and part of the epic A Cycle of the West.

The study is the only structure remaining from the original property on which John Neihardt lived and worked. It consists of only one room, which is furnished today much as it might have been when Neihardt used it. Although it is not open for entry, during times when the museum is open, the door is open allowing a wide view. In addition, the ample windows allow clear views of every part of the room.

Guests can also visit the interpretive center and walk in the Sioux Prayer Garden. Among the many objects on exhibit in the memorial room are items Lakota Holy Man Black Elk gave to Neihardt over the course of their friendship, including the sacred hoop of the world, a drum, and a pipe.

The house of Hoosier Poet James Whitcomb Riley embodies the sophistication of society life during the late-Victorian era.

The Museum Home, nestled in the heart of Indianapolis’ historic Lockerbie neighborhood, showcases many of the great poet’s personal belongings including his writing desk, portrait of his beloved dog and his top hat and cane.

At the home, visitors get the rare chance to experience the country’s only late-Victorian preservation. Authentic furnishings and décor fill the home with an air of nostalgia.

The house was built in 1888, and is filled with beautiful furnishings and mementos of the family. Here, the author, John Fox, Jr., wrote The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, fourteen other full length novels, and more than 500 short stories. Guided tours are conducted through the house.

The Patrol Boat, River vessels were manufactured during the Vietnam War for the purpose of patrolling and securing river areas in the conflict zone. This particular ship aided in training operations that prepared soldiers for the conditions they would face on rivers in Vietnam. During the Gulf War in the early 1990s, this boat secured the Concord Naval Weapons Station in California. It is now located at the Mare Island Historic Park Foundation's 50,000-square-foot artifacts museum.

Thurber House is a living history museum in which visitors are invited to sit on the chairs, play a tune on the downstairs piano, and touch the typewriter that was Thurber's while he was at the New Yorker. Thurber House is furnished in the style of the 1913-1917 period that Thurber lived in the home with his parents, two brothers, and dogs. The first two floors are open daily for tours.

The oldest house in Winchester, this stone building is a wonderful example of early settlement life in the lower Shenandoah Valley. Furnishings include a fine collection of period art and antiques. Also on the site is a restored and furnished log cabin.

The courthouse was originally built in 1840 to serve the citizens of Winchester and Frederick County to replace the 1741 courthouse that was on the same site at one time. Winchester's newest Civil War museum is located in the town's historic 1840 courthouse, which served as prison and hospital to both Northern and Southern troops. Their graffiti scribbles on the walls are still visible. Nearby is Stonewall Jackson's Headquarters Museum, which is housed in the building where the general planned his now famous Shenandoah Valley campaign.

In a dramatic building designed by architect Michael Graves, the history of Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley comes alive in four galleries, multi-media presentations, and dioramas. The complex also includes the Glen Burnie Historic House and six acres of spectacular gardens. There is something for every type of visitor: European, American, and Shenandoah Valley furniture, decorative arts, and paintings, an amazing collection of furnished miniature houses and rooms, state-of-the-art audio and video presentations, hands-on activities for children, and a Tea Room serving lunch and desserts.