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Hildene, Robert Todd Lincoln's Estate | |
| Abraham Lincoln had four sons, but only one of them lived to adulthood: Robert Todd Lincoln. He built a grand Gilded Age estate in Manchester, Vermont. | ||
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Robert Todd Lincoln, lawyer, Secretary of War in the administration of Presidents James Garfield and Chester A Arthur, US Minister (Ambassador) to the Court of St James's (Great Britain), and businessman, built more than a grand mansion here. Hildene's 22 buildings include a dairy barn, horse barn, sugar house, greenhouse, even a small observatory. Robert Lincoln became president of the Pullman Palace Car Company, America's most prominent maker of railroad passenger cars and trolleys, in 1897. The luxurious private Pullman Palace Car "Sunbeam," built in 1888, was reconfigured and refurnished in 1903 for Lincoln's use. The Sunbeam is now on exhibit at Hildene. You can roam the grounds and gardens, tour the 22-room Georgian Revival mansion and inspect Lincoln family heirlooms on your own or as part of a guided tour from 9:30am to 4:30pm any day of the year except Thanksgiving, December 24, 25, 26 and Easter. There is an admission charge. More... The Rowland Agricultural Center at Hildene makes its own artisanal cheeses, including fresh, small-batch goat cheese. More... In winter, Hildene is the site of a ski touring center. To find Hildene, from the main crossroads in Manchester Center (the intersection of VT Route 11/30 and US Route 7A), go south along US 7A to the estate. History of HildeneWhen President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, Robert Todd Lincoln was an officer serving on the staff of General Grant in the Union Army. Later a successful lawyer and businessman, Robert Lincoln came to Manchester in 1902, bought 412 acres of land, and began construction of Hildene. The mansion was completed in 1904, and Lincoln spent the summers there until his death in 1926. The estate was inherited by his wife, and then his granddaughter, who left it to the Church of Christ, Scientist, in 1975. It's now owned and maintained by a nonprofit group, the Friends of Hildene. Hildene —by Tom Brosnahan
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 Stay at The Equinox
Resort in Manchester VT |
