Sunday, May 31, 2009

" CONNEMARA " Home of Carl Sandburg



FOR THE 100th POST of THE WRITERS PORCH BLOG



A VISIT TO CONNEMARA in FLAT ROCK , NORTH CAROLINA







CARL SANDBURG 1878-1967



He was a Poet/Novelist/Minstrel/Biographer/Public Speaker










In 1945, Carl and Lillian Sandburg were in search of a new
home. A place where he could write and a place where she
could continue to raise her expanding herd of champion goats.
They found it in Flat Rock, NC at a place called Connemara.













July 22, 1967, Carl Sandburg died in a downstairs bedroom

at Connemara with his family around him. His funeral was

held at St. John In The Wilderness
Church near Connemara.

In 1968, Congress authorized the Carl Sandburg Home
National

Historic Site , making it the first national park to honor a poet.

The house was left exactly like it was the day he died. All contents

are still there, including the paper in his his workroom wastebasket.









I assume it is the first to also honor a herd of goats.......
Champion


Goats that is.......................




In 1940, Carl Sandburg was awarded the Pulitzer Prize
for his 4

vol. biography of Abe Lincoln titled " The War Years"







In 1951, he was again awarded the Pulitzer Prize
for "

Sandburg's Complete Poem's "






His workroom at Connemara is two small, west
facing rooms on

the top floor.......................







From the Flame Azaleas that greet you in the

parking lot
to the multiple Rhododendrons that surround the

grounds, beauty is everywhere.












Now this is a Sun Room.....................









With a view of gorgeous flora and fauna













The walking path to the dairy barns is a walk
through
nature......like this Hummingbird Vine
















Wonderful farm buildings along the

path.....................
What an inspiring place to write!











The garden is still planted, tended and watched over by the scarecrow





















Carl's wife Lillian was as famous for her herd of

prize
winning, champion goats as he for his writing........













The dairy house is still as it was......
I've forgotten the

name of this machine......










This was the cooler where the milk, butter and
cheese made at

Connemara Dairy was kept...









This was the cream separator , I think.....











The Sandburg's farm equipment and vehicles are still
here in

this garage on the left.................
This is the entrance

to the dairy.....





The herd of goats still at Connemara, are descendants of
the

original herd raised by the Sandburg's..................
This

is the sister.............









Of these two little guys.......a set of triplets !








These guys and girls " have it made in the shade "






Connemara has it's own Chickens and Eggs too......









I want to thank all of you for sharing mine and Sherry Austin's tour of Connemara and for being such great commenters and wonderful friends for the past 99 posts.









































22 comments:

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Congratulations Carol dear friend, on your 100th post !!
What a wonderful and interesting tour you have led us on....
The farm here is delightful, I love the old barn, with it's weathered boards and stons foundation.
Thanks for all the most interesting trips we've taken alongside you (well feels like it ), and here's to the next 100 ;)
Hugs,
Jo

I_am_Tulsa said...

I love looking at author's dens! This is a fabulous 100th post! Thank you for the tour and congratulations!

Carol Murdock said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Carol Murdock said...

Thanks Jo....You are so welcome!
Thank you for always coming along!

Tulsa....Carl Sandburg was the perfect choice for a 100th post !

NCmountainwoman said...

Wonderful post and tribute to this fine couple, both of whom enriched our lives. Connemara is one of our favorite day trips.

Vicki Lane said...

Back in 2001 I was lucky enough to visit Connemara on a special tour for authors participating in a book festival. We were taken to the storage building where still more of the Sandburgs' things were stored -- down to the clothing from the closets -- all in special drawers and climate controlled splendor.

I loved the feeling in the house that the Sandburgs had just stepped out . . .

And I loved the goats!

Kat Mortensen said...

Sandburg must have named the house after Connemarra in Ireland, did he? It is a lovely home and estate. I didn't know his wife raised goats - I guess they enjoyed some nice feta of a Sunday, did they?

Kat

Janet said...

I loved the tour, especially the farm buildings along the path. congratulations on your 100th post. I've been to Pearl Buck's birthplace in Hillsboro, WV and went on a tour inside. It is a very neat place to visit, also.

Carol Murdock said...

Carolyn...I wish I could go there on a day trip! Sandi, the owner of Flat Rock B & B, runs the trails everyday!

Vicki.....Sherry was on that tour too and she told all about it. Even Lillians house coats are there!

Carol Murdock said...

Kat....
In 1900 a man named Ellison Adger Smyth bought Rock Hill and changed the name to Connemara. He died there at age 94 in 1942.

Not only did the Sandburg's enjoy milk,butter and cheese,Ms. Sandburg had a contract with a Henersonville Dairy who sold all her excess!

crochet lady said...

Thanks so much for a great 100th post! I think I will check out a book of Carl Sandburg's poems at the library.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful. Post. Photos. Place.

I have always been a fan of Sandburg, and now that I raise goats I feel that a trip down to Connemara is in my near future.

Thank you for sharing.

Tess Kincaid said...

I love it when things are kept just as they were when the historical resident lived there. You can step in and look at things as they did. Wonderful!!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Congrats on your 100th post, Carol. I enjoyed reading all about Carl Sandburg and his gorgeous home. Love seeing those purple Rhododendron blooming.. WOW!!!!

You were at Flat Rock at a great time. We passed by the Carl Sandburg home --but since we were going to find some waterfalls, we didn't stop.

Thanks for sharing your visit with us.
Hugs,
Betsy

Deb Shucka said...

I love Carl Sandburg. This was a great tour. Congratulations on your 100th. Wishing you hundreds more.

Renie Burghardt said...

Carol, congratulations on your 100th post! And you are right, Conemara was the perfect choice for it. What a fabulous place. Did you feel his presence, just being there, among his things? Would have given me goosebumps.

Loved this post, and the pictures are splendiferous, as always.

Hugs,

Renie

Carol Murdock said...

Janet, Jen, Carolyn,Willow, Betsy, Deb and Renie.........

Thank you all so much for coming by to share what was a visit I had for years wanted to make! It was worth the wait!

Rosaria Williams said...

Congratulations on the 100th post. And thank you for taking us on such a wonderful field trip to the home of Carl Sandburg.

Sharon Rose said...

Congratulations on your 100th post, Carol! And the lovely tour of this Historical site was quite a treat!
At first, I felt clostrophobic as I saw his writing room, but as I continued the tour, I can only imagine the inspiration gained just from walking and/or looking out at that piece of land! How lovely!

The Prodigal Tourist said...

Sounds wonderful, as always. Congratulations on the 100! Just got there ourselves, we must be traveling together--how lovely.

Sherry Austin said...

Carol, as you know, Mrs. Louise Howe Bailey, local writer now in her nineties, did some of Mr. Sandburg's typing for him.

Sherry Austin said...

Carol, I sure do appreciate you, what you've done for all of us. Thanks for showcasing my town, too.