A Guide to Visiting the Homes of Famous Poets in New England
Sometimes the best way to gain inspiration is to go where it’s always been.
There’s no question that the brooding New England landscape churned out a slew of brooding poets to match. Being one of the most historic and culturally rich regions in the US, New England was simply a catalyst to the American Romantic poets, like Boston’s Ralph Waldo Emerson, or Concord’s Henry David Thoreau, to name a few.
While there is so much more to poetry than the romantics, that literary movement still plays a large role in modern literature today. And whether you’re a poet in need of some inspiration, a major history buff, or a New England tourist looking for something to do, visiting the homes of famous poets is a really exciting way to spend a couple of afternoons. Here’s a list of all the homes New England has to offer.
Robert Frost Apartment - Boston, MA
Frost lived in Beacon Hill briefly in the 1930s and early 40s. He purchased the home at 88 Mt. Vernon Street following the death of his wife, Elinor, and taught at Harvard while there.
Robert Frost Farm - Derry, NH
Frost and his family lived at this two-story clapboard farmhouse from 1900 to 1911. It’s said that much of his inspiration was drawn from his time at the Derry house. From May to October, you can visit the house for tours, events, displays, poetry readings, and other programs.
Robert Frost Farm - Franconia, NH
Frost and his family lived at the Franconia farm house from 1915 to 1920, after coming back from England. It is now part museum, part non-profit center for poetry and the arts, and hosts residency and seminar programs, along with poetry readings and other events.
Homer Noble Farm - Ripton, VT
Following the death of his wife, Frost found solace while visiting his lifelong friends, Ted Morrison and his wife, Kay, in Ripton, Vermont. He purchased the Homer Noble Farm so he would have a place to stay when he visited them in the summers from 1939-1963; while the Morrison family inhabited the main farmhouse, he preferred to stay in the cabin. It’s now owned by Middlebury College.
Emily Dickinson Museum/The Homestead - Amherst, MA
Now owned by Amherst College, The Emily Dickinson Museum comprises two buildings: The Homestead, which was her birthplace and home, and The Evergreens, next door, which was home to her brother Austin and his family. It now hosts a whole slew of exciting events as well as tours.
Wadsworth-Longfellow House - Portland, ME
Owned by the Maine Historical Society, the Wadsworth-Longfellow House in Portland is the home of his youth and early childhood. From June to October you can embark on either guided or self-paced tours, and visit the exhibition gallery.
Craigie-Longfellow House - Cambridge, MA
Once George Washington’s headquarters during the siege of Boston from 1775-1776, the Craigie-Longfellow House was eventually gifted to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow as a wedding present, and he lived there from 1843 to his death in 1882. It’s now operated by the National Park Service and is open for tours and other events.
Arrowhead - Pittsfield, MA
Arrowhead was home to Herman Melville from 1850 to 1863, when most of it was sold to his younger brother. He produced some of his greatest work while living there. The Berkshire County Historical Society now hosts tours of the house, grounds, Melville Trail, and the Pittsfield Mills.
The Mount - Lenox, MA
The Mount is a large, elegant mansion designed and built by Edith Wharton in 1902. It is now both a museum with tons of exhibits dedicated specifically to her as well as a venue for weddings and other events. It also runs tours, and has a bookstore.
The Old Manse - Concord, MA
In this location, you get a two-for-one: The Old Manse was home to both Ralph Waldo Emerson and later on to Nathaniel Hawthorne. The grounds are free and open to the public year-round, but the Trustees of Reservations also provides a variety of tours.
Mark Twain House & Museum - Hartford, CT
The Mark Twain House & Museum is home to both the museum, and the house that Mark Twain and his family inhabited from 1874-1891. You can also tour the grounds, have a bite at the cafe, and visit the bookstore. You can tour the buildings, attend its events, and even rent it out for your own events.
Harriet Beecher Stowe House - Brunswick, ME
The Harriet Beecher Stowe House was home to Stowe from 1873 to her death in 1896. It is now operated as a museum with tons of exhibits and tours, along with other events, many of which are family-friendly.
Walden Pond - Concord, MA
Walden Pond, now a state park, was once the site of the cabin Henry David Thoreau built and lived in for two years. Though the cabin is long-gone, there is a replica next to the parking lot, and visitors can swim in the pond and walk the trails surrounding it. You can read about his life in the laminated pages along the trail.
William Cullen Bryant Homestead - Cummington, MA
This was the childhood home, and then eventually purchased as the summer home, of the first internationally-famous American poet William Cullen Bryant. Managed by the Trustees of Reservations, the William Cullen Bryant Homestead is now a National Historic Landmark with self-guided tours of the property. Many of the spots he described in his poetry are on this property.
Naulakha - Dummerston, VT
Naulakha was built in 1892 for Rudyard Kipling, and not only features all of his original furniture, but also the very desk he used to write The Jungle Book. While they do provide tours on the first Sunday and Monday in June every year, it is largely now available to stay in.