William Cullen Bryant Homestead
Encyclopedia
The William Cullen Bryant Homestead 155 acre (0.6272633 km²) is the boyhood home and later summer residence of William Cullen Bryant
(1794–1878), one of America's foremost poets and newspaper editors. It is located at 205 Bryant Road in Cummington, Massachusetts
, currently operated by the non-profit Trustees of Reservations
, and open to the public on weekends in summer and early fall. An admission fee is charged.
The Homestead was originally built in 1785. It was purchased by Bryant's grandfather, Ebenezer Snell, in 1789. The Homestead is set on a hillside above the Westfield River
valley with views of the Hampshire Hills. Bryant bought back the family home in 1865 and renovated it extensively after it had been out of the family for about 30 years. The house is filled with Bryant's furnishings and mementoes. The site includes a stand of old-growth forest, a grove of 150 feet (45.7 m) pine trees, and nearly 200-year-old sugar maple trees.
The Homestead was designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1962.
William Cullen Bryant
William Cullen Bryant was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post.-Youth and education:...
(1794–1878), one of America's foremost poets and newspaper editors. It is located at 205 Bryant Road in Cummington, Massachusetts
Cummington, Massachusetts
Cummington is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 978 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, currently operated by the non-profit Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations is a non-profit land conservation and historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving natural and historical places in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is the oldest regional land trust in the world and has 100,000 dues-paying members...
, and open to the public on weekends in summer and early fall. An admission fee is charged.
The Homestead was originally built in 1785. It was purchased by Bryant's grandfather, Ebenezer Snell, in 1789. The Homestead is set on a hillside above the Westfield River
Westfield River
The Westfield River in Metropolitan Springfield, Massachusetts, is a major tributary of the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts. The Westfield River has four major tributary branches that confluence in the City of Westfield, for which the river is named...
valley with views of the Hampshire Hills. Bryant bought back the family home in 1865 and renovated it extensively after it had been out of the family for about 30 years. The house is filled with Bryant's furnishings and mementoes. The site includes a stand of old-growth forest, a grove of 150 feet (45.7 m) pine trees, and nearly 200-year-old sugar maple trees.
The Homestead was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1962.