Wednesday, December 1, 2021

December Blog: Hildene- A Lincoln Family Home

 

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December Blog: Hildene- A Lincoln Family Home-
A Great Place to Visit
Greetings!
Happy Holidays from The Wilmington Inn! We hope everyone is enjoying the Holiday season. We recently had the chance to finally visit Hildene & wanted to share the history of The Lincoln Family Home with our guests. We highly recommend a visit while in Vermont.

Don't forget to partake in our holiday gift certificate program- more information at the end of the blog.

Happy Holidays to you & your family, we look forward to seeing everyone soon.

Thank you,
Charlie & Megan
Hildene
Hildene is located about 45 minutes from The Wilmington Inn in Manchester, VT. Hildene is the home of Robert & Mary Lincoln who built the home in 1905.

Hildene is formed from two old English words: “Hil” meaning “hill” and “dene” meaning “valley with stream.” Robert and his wife Mary gave their Vermont home this name because it is perched on a hill overlooking the Taconic Mountains to the west, the Green Mountains to the east, and the Battenkill river flowing through the great Battenkill Valley below.
Robert Todd Lincoln was the eldest of the four sons of President Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary Todd Lincoln, and the only one of them to survive into adulthood. Robert grew fond of Manchester when he used to visit the area as a young man when he was visiting his mother.

In 1903, Robert returned to Manchester & purchased 392 acres to build his family home. At the time, Robert was the President of Pullman Company which was the largest manufacturing company in the country. Robert Todd Lincoln had already served as secretary of war under two presidents and as ambassador to the Court of St. James.

Robert & his family moved into the house in 1905. The beautiful estate boasts 14 buildings, these include but not limited to the home, formal garden, and observatory.

Peggy Beckwith, Abraham Lincoln’s great-granddaughter and the last Lincoln descendant to live at Hildene, added more acreage to the estate. Peggy who lived full-time at the property expanded the farming operations for the estate that are still in place today. When Peggy died in 1975, she was the last descendent of the Lincoln Family. When she died in 1975, she left Hildene to the Church of Christ, Scientist in accordance with grandmother's wishes. The will stipulated that the Church maintain Hildene as a memorial to the Lincoln family. The Church didn't have the financial means to maintain the property. In 1978, a non-profit was formed to purchase the estate & maintain it as a historical venue.

The now 412 acre estate, with its Georgian revival mansion and 14 historic buildings, includes the home, formal garden and observatory; Welcome Center and The Museum Store in the historic carriage barn; 1903 Pullman car, Sunbeam; and Hildene Farm. The farm includes a solar-powered goat dairy and cheese-making facility and, in the lower portion of the property—the dene--includes a teaching greenhouse, composting facility, animal barn, vegetable gardens, apple orchard, 600-foot floating wetland boardwalk and an 1832 schoolhouse.

Historical information copied from www.hildene.org
When to visit
Hildene is a great destination to visit year-round. Guests can purchase admission for self-guided tours; tickets can also be purchased for guided tours of the house.

During the summer, guests to the estate can view & walk through the historical garden pictured above.

During the winter, volunteers decorate the house for the holidays.

More information can be found here!
Give the gift of travel!
Don't forget about our Annual Gift Certificate promotion!
For every $100 you purchase you will get an extra $25! And the best part? If you spend $300 or more, you will receive a complimentary Wilmington Inn water bottle!

Wow- this is quite a deal! Here are some examples of what you will receive!

Purchase a $100 gift certificate- Receive a total value of $125!
Purchase a $200 gift certificate- Receive a total value of $250!
Purchase a $300 gift certificate- Receive a total value $375 plus complimentary Wilmington Inn water bottle*


*while supplies last
Thank you for your continued support