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. 

Tour of Vermont - Scenic View of the Countryside in Summer

Early Morning in Summer - at a lake near Mrs. White's Vermont Home.

This is the Sixth post in my series of touring Vermont.  (Please click on any picture to make them larger.)  I have lived in this state for 16 years and rarely stopped to look at the sights.  Starting in 2017, I made the effort to stop and visit some of the places that I see on my travels. This does not mean that I would need to spend money, but that I would take a few moments of rest and visit some of these places, instead of just rushing through life and never taking a scenic break.

The tour:  A Scenic View of the Countryside in Summer.


On my travels through the state, over the last couple of summers, I stopped to get some photographs to share.

Cows and Farmland.

 There are many beautiful farms we can see as we drive on the main roads throughout the state. The grass is so lush and green in the summer months.

Barn at Roadside.

I love the mountain views behind the farms.   These are country roads and are very peaceful.

A Farm in the distance.

You will not see these views in the cities of Vermont.  But they are lovely to see on the outskirts of the busy towns.

One of the Lakes on a country road.

There are many lakes in the state.  Some have sandy "beach" type areas near the water. Others just have grass and mountains. They look almost untouched.  Since there are no billboards allowed here, and very few signs, it can be a peaceful retreat to spend time here.

A Charming Pink House in a Tourist Area of Southern Vermont.

 I was intrigued, this summer, when I drove by a lovely pink house in southern Vermont!  There was a great deal of traffic on this road. It was right near a busy tourist area.  On my way back home (from an appointment) it was much quieter in the area, and I was able to stop and get a picture.

This is the same lake as in the first picture. It is near Mrs. White's home.

There is a beautiful lake near our home. It has a boardwalk and benches.  There are also boats. It reminds me of my Massachusetts home, where we had many yacht clubs.

An early Morning view of a lake, with boats, near Mrs. White's home.

I hope you enjoyed the sights! Thank you for reading!



** My next stop will be - Life in 1910 -  Lincoln's Home at Hildene.**



The First Tour was -  A Vermont Christmas Tree Farm.

The Second Tour was - The Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe Vermont.

The Third Tour was - King Arthur Flour in Norwich Vermont.

 The Fourth Tour was - Afternoon Tea at The Governor's Mansion.

The Fifth Tour was - A Visit to the Vermont Country Store.



Blessings,
Mrs. White


From the Archives -

Taking Care of the Family - In Pursuit of Christian Duty.

In Case you Wondered - The Secret to a Clean House.

It's What you Make of it - The Cultured Society of Home. 

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

Find Home-keeping Inspiration, in Mrs.White's book -Mother's Book of Home Economics .  Paperback, 312 pages.

A Visit to The Vermont Country Store

The Vermont Country Store in Bellows Falls, Vermont

This is the Fifth post in my series of touring Vermont.  (Please click on any picture to make them larger.)  I have lived in this state for 16 years and rarely stopped to look at the sights.  Starting in 2017, I made the effort to stop and visit some of the places that I see on my travels. This does not mean that I would need to spend money, but that I would take a few moments of rest and visit some of these places, instead of just rushing through life and never taking a scenic break.


The tour:  A Visit to The Vermont Country Store.


We had an appointment in Southern Vermont recently. I was delighted to find out that we would be driving right past the famous country store.   I had no money to spend.  We did not buy anything on this visit.   But I wanted to just take a break and look around.  Would you like to see inside?

Inside the Vermont Country Store

The store is enormous. There are many rooms all opening up to one another. There are also seating areas where you can sit and play checkers!   You could spend hours just looking at all the merchandise, displays, and decorations.

Historic pictures on the wall.

I had such a restful time just walking around and looking at everything.  The only thing that made it difficult was the crowd. I had no idea there would be so many people here.  But I realized this is a great tourist stop.  It is right off the interstate and has so many features, on the property, for travelers to rest and shop.

"Peanuts" products and Tea Time items.

The packaging of products, and presentation of merchandise, is wonderful! It is like walking into a museum where every, charming, thing is for sale.

Beatrix Potter items on a cozy shelf in the bargain area upstairs.

They had toys and games and so many sweet things.  They even had warm and cozy, flannel nightgowns to keep one extra warm, and pretty, during a Vermont winter. I saw the sweetest purple robe that would be lovely.  I saw many things I wanted, but of course I refrained from any impulse shopping.  One cannot buy things when one does not have any money!  But I did enjoy looking at everything so much!

Old - Fashioned Treats.

They had old - fashioned treats in vintage - looking boxes.  It was reminiscent of the old, family, country stores in the rural towns of history.

Candy counter.

The shelves of candy were a popular stop for many customers.  It was difficult to get a picture until many moved on to other sights in the store.  These treats were so tempting.

Charles Chips.

I am told that "Charles Chips" are some of the best tasting that can be found.  They are sold by the tin and then you can purchase a refill bag.  Wouldn't it be charming to have delicous chips out of a large tin?

Soda.

I loved seeing an old refrigerator with cold, glass bottles of soda for sale. This was an incredible item from history!

Mildred's Dairy Bar which is part of The Vermont Country Store.

Back outside, we saw outdoor games, picnic tables, and a beautiful landscape where many were playing or resting.  Attached to the store is a place to eat.  There is a walkway up a ramp to a window where you can order anything on the menu, and then go out and have a picnic lunch on the front grounds.  We had already brought our own traveling food, so we just enjoyed looking at the menu before heading back on our way.

Outside the store-  between the main entrance and the dairy bar.

I took one more last look and then we happily went on our way, traveling on the country road of Vermont to our appointment.  It had been a restful and interesting stop. I enjoyed it very much.

Thank you for visiting with me!

** My next stop will be a Scenic View of the Countryside, and a Beautiful Lake, in Summer.**


The First Tour was -  A Vermont Christmas Tree Farm.

The Second Tour was - The Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe Vermont.

The Third Tour was - King Arthur Flour in Norwich Vermont.

 The Fourth Tour was - Afternoon Tea at The Governor's Mansion.



Blessings,
Mrs. White


From the Archives -

Before Modern Technology Distracted the Family - Industrious at Home.

Inspiration - How The Old Time Mothers Survived Poverty.

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. -

Find Home-keeping Inspiration, in Mrs.White's book - For The Love of Christian Homemaking.  Paperback, 274 pages.

Afternoon Tea at The Governor's Mansion

The Governor's 1893 Mansion in Vermont

This is the fourth post in my series of touring Vermont.  (Please click on any picture to make them larger.)  I have lived in this state for 16 years and rarely stopped to look at the sights.  Starting in 2017, I made the effort to stop and visit some of the places that I see on my travels. This does not mean that I would need to spend money, but that I would take a few moments of rest and visit some of these places, instead of just rushing through life and never taking a scenic break.

The tour:  Afternoon Tea at The Governor's Mansion 

I had a great many appointments and meetings to attend all throughout last summer.  These were stressful at times and certainly tiring.  But we did our best to enjoy the drives and try to see the scenery along the way.

Sign for Afternoon Tea on the grounds of the Mansion in Vermont

One day I noticed an advertisement for Afternoon Tea at a lovely, historic bed- and- breakfast.  It was only 10 minutes away from a meeting we were to attend in that area.  I called to ask a few questions and then made a reservation to have a formal tea for two.  One of my grown daughters would be with me. I was told a simple tea with scone would cost $8.50 each.  This was an affordable treat that would be such a rare blessing!

Entryway with Coat-rack and umbrella stand

The grounds and the mansion were lovely and old fashioned. The architecture of the building was stunning.

The main entryway with fireplace

Once we stepped inside, the main entryway was very large and elegant. It had a formal fireplace and beautiful seating.  One could sit by the fire to get warm in winter.  Off to the side of this area were two large parlours.

The Cozy Tea Room

The hostess of the establishment led us into one of the main parlours. It is the tea room.  She let us look around and just enjoy the peaceful room as she went off to do her work. She told us to, "Stay as long as you would like."  It felt like all the stress of the day just went away as we enjoyed this restful place.

A Piano in the Parlour

There was a piano, with sheet music, in the room. An enormous library of assorted books was on the back wall.  There were cozy chairs with little tables of books, games of chess, and little dishes of wrapped candies.  It was the perfect room to visit and enjoy the company of others.  We happened to be there during the slow season, we were told, so there was only one other small party of two with us for afternoon tea that day. Each group at our own tables.  It made it extra quiet and restful for us.

The Tea Cart

A beautiful tea cart was already set up when we arrived.  This is where the hostess served from. I would love to have my own tea cart here at our home!

The ceremony of her serving and setting up the tea was lovely and such a treat.

She brought in a block of some kind of wood and placed the teapot on it, at our cozy little table.  She asked if we would like milk or lemon with our tea?  One of the party smiled and said, "I would like both."  The hostess was taken aback and gently chided with, "Oh, no. You never have both.  You have lemon or milk. But not both."   The party chose lemon.  I was incredibly amused!

Next she asked who would like to serve the tea?  From what I understand, it is an honor to be the one to serve.  My daughter chose to do this special task.

Our Tea Table in the Parlour

The hostess showed us how to set up a beautiful strainer on top of each tea cup. Then the tea was poured through this into the cup.  It was like a lovely ritual of serving a pleasant tea.

The tea was the most delicious I have ever had in my life. Any time we each wanted a bit more, my daughter graciously did her duty, using the strainer to pour more.  "Would you like more tea?" She would ask. It was wonderful!

The scones were served on a tray, along with jam and clotted cream.  We helped ourselves to each, by spooning some on our plates and then using a little knife to spread them on our scones.  They were incredibly delicious!  I could not believe I was enjoying such an elegant treat in such a beautiful place!

As we were getting ready to leave, I went back into the main entryway and took a picture of the staircase which led to the guest rooms.

Hallway and Staircase at the Mansion

I spotted a chalkboard on the wall. It had the breakfast menu for the guests to see.  It said:

"Breakfast
Fruit
Maple Crunch Oatmeal
Scrambled Eggs and Garlic Tomatoes
Scones and Jam"

Chalkboard with breakfast menu

The entire experience was inspiring.  It made me want to have formal teas at home, just for our own happiness with the family. It was relaxing and wonderful.

Thank you for having tea with me at the Governor's Mansion here in Vermont!


** My next stop will be a visit to The Vermont Country Store. We have an appointment in that area coming up soon.**


The First Tour was -  A Vermont Christmas Tree Farm.

The Second Tour was - The Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe Vermont.

The Third Tour was - King Arthur Flour in Norwich Vermont.


Blessings,
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

A Homemade Present for Grand-baby - Tea Napkins.

Humble Tea Time- The Importance of Formal Ceremony at Home.

Joyful and Peaceful Living - Simplicity of Old Fashioned Homemaking. 

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

 

Find Home-keeping Inspiration, in Mrs.White's book -Mother's Book of Home Economics .  Paperback, 312 pages.