Robert Frost Farm (Derry, New Hampshire)

Last updated
Robert Frost Farm State Historic Site
Robertfrostfarm.JPG
The Robert Frost Farm
Robert Frost Farm (Derry, New Hampshire)
Location122 Rockingham Rd,
Derry, New Hampshire
Coordinates 42°52′18″N71°17′42″W / 42.87167°N 71.29500°W / 42.87167; -71.29500 Coordinates: 42°52′18″N71°17′42″W / 42.87167°N 71.29500°W / 42.87167; -71.29500
Area64 acres (26 ha) [1]
Elevation456 feet (139 m) [2]
Administered by New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation
Designation New Hampshire state park
Website Robert Frost Farm State Historic Site
Robert Frost Homestead
Robert Frost farm Derry NH (11).JPG
Area13 acres (5.3 ha)
Built1884
NRHP reference No. 68000008
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMay 23, 1968 [3]
Designated NHLMay 23, 1968 [4]

The Robert Frost Farm in Derry, New Hampshire is a two-story, clapboard, connected farm built in 1884. [5] It was the home of poet Robert Frost from 1900 to 1911. Today it is a New Hampshire state park in use as a historic house museum. [6] The property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the Robert Frost Homestead. [3]

Contents

History

Frost lived in the house from the fall of 1900 until it was sold in November 1911. [7] : 73  The majority of the poems collected in his first two books, A Boy's Will and North of Boston , were written here. [7] Many of the poems in his 1916 collection Mountain Interval were also written at the Derry farm. [8] Frost once said, "There was something about the experience at Derry which stayed in my mind, and was tapped for poetry in the years that came after." [9] During this period Frost also published a dozen articles for two agricultural trade journals: The Eastern Poultryman and The Farm-Poultry. [10]

Elliott, first son of Frost and his wife Elinor, died on the farm in 1900 at age four, likely due to influenza. [11] : 15  The other children were educated at home by their parents. Lesley Frost later recalled she was "taught the alphabet on a typewriter... My mother taught the organized subjects, reading (the phonetic method), writing (then known as penmanship), geography, spelling. My father took on botany and astronomy." [11] : 27 

A hired man named Carl Burrell (and, occasionally, Burrell's father) assisted with farming duties like building hen coops, tending livestock, and picking apples and pears. [7] : 74  Locals thought Frost was lazy as a farmer. [11] : 15  He later recalled that they were correct: "I always liked to sit up all hours of the night planning some inarticulate crime, going out to work when the spirit moved me, something they shook their heads ominously at, with proper prejudice. They would talk among themselves about my lack of energy. I was a failure in their eyes from the start." [7] : 74 

The family moved out in the fall of 1909 to rented lodgings in Derry Village while Frost taught at the Pinkerton Academy. They later moved to Plymouth, New Hampshire, so that Frost could teach at the Plymouth Normal School. [11] : 34 

In the 1940s, after Frost had left the farm, the property took on use as a junk yard. The field behind the home was littered with hundreds of junk cars, and the home itself fell into disrepair. The property was obtained by the state of New Hampshire in 1964. By 1975, restorations were complete and the farm was opened for public visitation. [12]

Modern history

The property, originally owned by Frost's grandfather, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1968. [4] [13] The property is a New Hampshire state park. [6]

It is located on the east side of Rockingham Road (New Hampshire Route 28), 2 miles (3 km) southeast of Derry Village. It is open to the public seasonally.

References in Robert Frost poems

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Frost</span> American poet (1874–1963)

Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. His work was initially published in England before it was published in the United States. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech, Frost frequently wrote about settings from rural life in New England in the early 20th century, using them to examine complex social and philosophical themes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockingham County, New Hampshire</span> County in New Hampshire, United States

Rockingham County is a county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. At the 2020 census, the population was 314,176, making it New Hampshire's second-most populous county. The county seat is Brentwood. Rockingham County is part of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metropolitan Statistical Area and the greater Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT Combined Statistical Area. Per the 2020 census, it was New Hampshire's fastest growing county from 2010 to 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windham, New Hampshire</span> Town in New Hampshire, United States

Windham is a suburban town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population at the 2020 census was 15,817, up from 13,592 in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Londonderry, New Hampshire</span> Town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States of America

Londonderry is a town in western Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. It sits between Manchester and Derry, the largest and fourth-largest communities in the state. The population was 25,826 at the 2020 census. Londonderry is known for its apple orchards and is home to the headquarters of Stonyfield Farm and part of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derry, New Hampshire</span> Town in New Hampshire, US

Derry is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 34,317 at the 2020 census. Although it is a town and not a city, Derry is the most populous community in Rockingham County and the fourth most populous in the state. The town's nickname, "Spacetown", derives from the fact that Derry is the birthplace of Alan Shepard, the first astronaut from the United States in space. Derry was also for a time the home of the poet Robert Frost and his family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhododendron State Park</span>

Rhododendron State Park is a public recreation area and nature preserve occupying 2,723 acres (1,102 ha) on and around Little Monadnock Mountain in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, United States. The state park contains a 16-acre (6.5 ha) stand of native Rhododendron maximum, the largest of nineteen similar stands in central and northern New England, the northern limit of their growing range. The stand was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1982. The park also includes wild blueberries, cranberries, mountain laurel, heathers, mayflower, and wintergreen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park</span> National Historical Park of the United States

Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park in Cornish, New Hampshire, preserves the home, gardens, and studios of Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848–1907), one of America's foremost sculptors. This was his summer residence from 1885 to 1897, his permanent home from 1900 until his death in 1907, and the center of the Cornish Art Colony. There are two hiking trails that explore the park's natural areas. Original sculptures are on exhibit, along with reproductions of his greatest masterpieces. It is located on Saint-Gaudens Road in Cornish, 0.5 miles (0.80 km) off New Hampshire Route 12A.

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Rockingham County, New Hampshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bear Brook State Park</span> State park in Merrimack County, New Hampshire

Bear Brook State Park is a 10,000-acre (4,000 ha) preserve in Allenstown, New Hampshire, and neighboring towns. It is one of New Hampshire's largest state parks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Thornton House</span> Historic house in New Hampshire, United States

The Matthew Thornton House is a historic house and National Historic Landmark in Derry, New Hampshire. It was from 1740 to 1779 the home of Matthew Thornton, a Founding Father and signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Frost Farm (Ripton, Vermont)</span> United States historic place

The Robert Frost Farm, also known as the Homer Noble Farm, is a National Historic Landmark in Ripton, Vermont. It is a 150-acre (61 ha) farm property off Vermont Route 125 in the Green Mountains where American poet Robert Frost (1874-1963) lived and wrote in the summer and fall months from 1939 until his death in 1963. The property, historically called the Homer Noble Farm, includes a nineteenth-century farmhouse and a rustic wooden writing cabin. The property is now owned by Middlebury College. The grounds are open to the public during daylight hours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newtonville Historic District</span> Historic district in Massachusetts, United States

The Newtonville Historic District is a historic district in the village of Newtonville, in Newton, Massachusetts. The district encompasses the southern portion of the village's business district, as well as surrounding residential areas. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, and enlarged in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merrimack Valley</span> Region in the U.S. states of New Hampshire and Massachusetts

The Merrimack Valley is a bi-state region along the Merrimack River in the U.S. states of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The Merrimack is one of the larger waterways in New England and has helped to define the livelihood and culture of those living along it for millennia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Frost Place</span> Historic house in New Hampshire, United States

The Frost Place is a museum and nonprofit educational center for poetry located at Robert Frost's former home on Ridge Road in Franconia, New Hampshire, United States. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Frost Farm may refer to:

Robert Frost Farm may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taylor Mill State Historic Site</span>

The Taylor Mill State Historic Site is a state park of New Hampshire located in 71-acre Ballard State Forest in Derry, Rockingham County, in the southeast part of the state. The site is created to protect the 1799 mill known as Taylor Up and Down Sawmill. The sawmill is in operation and is open for visitors on weekends during the summer. The site is located on Island Pond Road, east of the downtown of Derry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballard State Forest</span> State forest in Rockingham County, New Hampshire

Ballard State Forest is a state forest of New Hampshire located in Derry, Rockingham County, in the southeast part of the state. The area of the park is 71 acres (0.29 km2). It includes the Taylor Mill Historic Site, an old sawmill, and Ballard Pond, which provides water for the mill. The forest is located on Island Pond Road, east of the downtown of Derry. The pond drains via Taylor Brook and Island Pond into the Spicket River, a tributary of the Merrimack River.

White Lake State Park is a 902.7-acre (365.3 ha) public recreation area in Tamworth, New Hampshire. The state park surrounds 125-acre (51 ha) White Lake, a typical glacial lake. It is open year-round and offers swimming, hiking, non-motorized boating, picnicking, trout fishing, winter sports, day-use area, group areas, and seasonal camping.

References

  1. ↑ "State Lands" (PDF). New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development. July 2007. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Robert Frost Farm". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  3. 1 2 "Robert Frost Homestead". NPGallery. National Park Service. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  4. 1 2 "List of National Historic Landmarks by State". National Park Service. December 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Robert Frost Farm, History of the House" (PDF). New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Robert Frost Farm State Historic Site". New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Parini, Jay. Robert Frost: A Life. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1999. ISBN   0-8050-6341-2.
  8. ↑ Pritchard, William H. Frost: A Literary Life Reconsidered. Oxford University Press, 1993 (reprint): 134. ISBN   0-87023-838-8.
  9. ↑ Shmidt, Shannon McKenna, and Joni Rendon. Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen's Bath to Ernest Hemingway's Key West. National Geographic Society, 2008: 48. ISBN   978-1-4262-0454-8.
  10. ↑ Marsh, Emily. "Frost on Chickens | Browse Items". www.nal.usda.gov. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Francis, Lesley Lee. Robert Frost: An Adventure in Poetry, 1900–1918. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers, 2004. ISBN   0-7658-0825-0.
  12. ↑ "Robert Frost Farm, The Restoration" (PDF). New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  13. ↑ Polly M. Rettig and John D. McDermott (January 6, 1976). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination:" (pdf). National Park Service. and Accompanying 3 photos, exterior, from 1975.  (783 KB)
  14. ↑ "Robert Frost Farm, Mending Wall" (PDF). New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Robert Frost Farm, Hyla Brook" (PDF). New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.