Time for Some Rest - A Visit to Mrs. Lincoln's Home in Vermont

The Lincoln's summer home in Vermont.

I think we need a little rest and recreation.  Perhaps we can forget about what is happening in the world, and just take a short break.  Shall we go and visit Mrs. Lincoln's Home?

We visited the city of Manchester, here in Vermont, late last summer.  We were able to tour the summer mansion of the Lincoln family. We also walked part of the grounds. It was an incredibly, restful place to see. I was also inspired as I thought about home life in 1910. This was a time before television, computers, easy transportation, and modern distractions were able to drastically change the culture and our way of living.

The property consists of nearly 400 acres and was purchased by the son of Abraham Lincoln around the year of 1904.   I was intrigued by the sense of quiet, peacefulness as we walked towards the large home.

The entryway is beautifully decorated and was clearly designed to welcome the family and their guests. It looks comforting and beautiful.

The front entrance of the Lincoln home in Vermont.

As we walk into the house, we see the main room before us. It is large and bright with sunshine. The home is supplied with stunning flowers taken directly from the grounds of the property.  There is a back door right behind the couch.  Soon we will go out there and see the flower gardens and enjoy the view.

The front room is the center of the 1st floor of the Lincoln Home.

To the right of this front room is the main parlour.  It has a piano, a fireplace, and beautiful chairs.  I noticed there is a small library of books in nearly all the rooms of this house.

Main Parlour on the 1st floor of the Lincoln Home.

I can just imagine the family enjoying an afternoon of reading by the fire, or listening to Mrs. Lincoln play the piano to entertain the family. Did you know that Mrs. Lincoln was a trained pianist?  She learned this accomplishment to amuse and brighten the days of her family and guests. It was a lovely way to pass the time and add some much needed culture to their daily lives at home.  There is another piano in her private sitting room upstairs. We will see it in just a few minutes.  I want to linger downstairs just a little longer.

The dining room is elegant and beautiful.  The room is bright and cheerful. This room is to the left of the main, front room.  You will notice a stately portrait of Mr. Lincoln above the fireplace.  He looks handsome and distinguished in his suit.  It gives the property a thoughtful sense of history and a realization that a real family lived in this beautiful home.  They dined in this lovely room.

Dining Room on the 1st floor of the Lincoln Home in Vermont.

 Just to the left of the fireplace, there is a doorway leading to the butler's pantry.  This is a small room, with the kitchen just on the other side.  The butler's pantry is the first room on the left side of the house which leads to rooms which were used by the staff.

Butler's Pantry at the Lincoln Home in Vermont.

Would you like to see the kitchen?  It is charming! It is a nice, sunny room with lots of little tables for making pies and bread, or rolling out cookie dough.   It has been set up to look like the cook had been baking and preparing delicious food for the household. It gives me a happy feeling thinking of old time kitchens and an old fashioned life.

Kitchen at the Lincoln House in Vermont.

 Across the hall, from the kitchen, is the butler's bedroom. It is as neat as a pin!  Then we see the dining room that is used by the servants.  It is so cozy in here. I would love to just sit and enjoy this quiet room while doing some knitting.  There is a dining table in the center of the room. To the right, is a charming lamp and a seating area.  There is a work basket for mending and knitting.  This is right next to a beautiful rocking chair.

Private dining room for the staff at the Lincoln Home in Vermont.

Shall we head back to the other side of the house?  There is a magnificent hallway connecting the rooms on the first floor.

Hallway connecting the rooms on the first floor at the Lincoln Home.

Next I want to show you the guest bedroom.  It is beautifully decorated. I love the cozy lamps, pretty carpet, and lovely wallpaper.  This room also has a writing desk, complete with stationary supplies, in case the guest would like to write a letter.

Guest Bedroom at the Lincoln House in Vermont.

There are more rooms on the first floor, but I think we better just glance at Mr. Lincoln's library so we do not disturb anyone in there. Then we can go upstairs to see some of the rooms used by Mrs. Lincoln.  Here is the stately Library:

The Library at the Lincoln House in Vermont.

Shall we go upstairs?  We will take a little rest in the sitting room at the top of the stairs.  This is the private parlour of Mrs. Lincoln.  There are charming, pink couches, where we can sit and have tea.  Should we do some hand- embroidery or just have some cookies?

Mrs. Lincoln's Sitting room in Vermont.

On the other side of this bright, sunny room, is a writing desk and a piano.  Perhaps someone will play for us while we have a tea break.

Piano in the sitting room at the Lincoln house in Vermont.

To the left of the sitting room is Mrs. Lincoln's bedroom.  It is connected by a door to her sitting room.  Just across the hall from this is a bedroom just for her grandchildren!  It is a dreamy room with a lovely table and chairs for checkers.

The Grandchildren's bedroom at the Lincoln House in Vermont.

 I have to show you the other side of this darling room.  There are some toys, books, a cozy fireplace, and a comfortable chair where Mrs. Lincoln can sit and read to the children.  It is such a cozy, happy room for the little ones to enjoy.  If you look closely at the mirror, you might be able to see me taking the photograph. Oops!  Pardon me!

Other side of the Grandchildren's Bedroom at the Lincoln house. (With Mrs. White in the mirror!)

We really must not take any more of the family's time. Shall we go out to the back garden?  The flowers and scenery are stunning!

Flower Gardens behind the Lincoln House in Vermont.

 It is incredible to walk around and enjoy the restful view of this property. It is so quiet here and just lovely.  Can you imagine coming out here and gathering some flowers to decorate the house?

Back view of the Lincoln house in Vermont.

We will walk to the other side of the back garden and rest on this nice bench.  Won't you join me?

Mrs. White at the Lincoln House in Vermont.

I had a nice, restful visit. I hope you did too. Thank you for coming along with me.

Blessings
Mrs. White


From the Archives -

Making the Best of Things - Poor and Pretty Living.

A Homemade project to Delight grand-girl - Tea Napkins.

What Many of us Crave - An Ordinary Life at Home.

- To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

Mrs. White's special book for homemakers:"Introduction to Home Economics:  Gentle Instruction to Find Joy in Christian Homemaking."

Find stories of home life, with photographs of my home, in this encouraging book. 

 Paperback, 200 pages.