Took a Saturday trip to beautiful Connemara, Carl Sandburg's home in Flat Rock, NC. The Sandburg family lived here from 1945 until Carl's death in 1967. One third of his work was done here. The beauty of this home is its simplicity. The house is not
artificially staged but is instead decorated with the actual belongings that the
Sandburg's lived with in 1954..the time Mrs. Sandburg wanted to remember. So many things about this home reminded me of my own home growing up...books and magazines everywhere, metal kitchen cabinets, uneven floors, few curtains, and a toaster in the dining room. The house is a delight to tour and there are beautiful trails on the 264 acres. My favorite moment....walking in the front door, turning around, looking out the front window to a magnificent view of Mt. Mitchell. Thank you for sharing, Carl and Paula.
Carl and Paula. Our guide told us that Carl would work all night, then Paula would bring him breakfast with a thermos filled with coffee, goat's milk, and honey.
Connemara was named by a previous owner for an area on the coast of Ireland. Connemara means "by the sea." The "sea" was partially frozen today for our visit.
The house was built in 1838 by
Charlestonian, Christopher
Memminger. The front porch was removed during the Civil War to make it harder for the Yankees to plunder.
The
Sandburg's brought over 16,000 books with them when they moved to Connemara in 1945. Over 11,000 volumes still remain. The books still have paper bookmarks which Carl left to remember something interesting. There is a listing of the books in the library on the Connemara site.
Paula's milk goat farm is still active. Last year, almost all of the kids born did not survive, so new bucks were brought in this year.
Cold tub. The old watering hole.
"The fog comes in on little cat feet" This barn kitty is warming his toes on this chilly day.
Wonderful McFarland's Bakery in nearby
Hendersonville. Perfect stop after cold day's hike.
Carl and Paula. Our guide told us that Carl would work all night, then Paula would bring him breakfast with a thermos filled with coffee, goat's milk, and honey.
Connemara was named by a previous owner for an area on the coast of Ireland. Connemara means "by the sea." The "sea" was partially frozen today for our visit.
The house was built in 1838 by Charlestonian, Christopher Memminger. The front porch was removed during the Civil War to make it harder for the Yankees to plunder.
The Sandburg's brought over 16,000 books with them when they moved to Connemara in 1945. Over 11,000 volumes still remain. The books still have paper bookmarks which Carl left to remember something interesting. There is a listing of the books in the library on the Connemara site.
Paula's milk goat farm is still active. Last year, almost all of the kids born did not survive, so new bucks were brought in this year. 
Cold tub. The old watering hole.
"The fog comes in on little cat feet" This barn kitty is warming his toes on this chilly day.
Wonderful McFarland's Bakery in nearby Hendersonville. Perfect stop after cold day's hike.
I love this place, too. The picture of the Sandburgs is taped to the wall near my desk at work, so I think about Carl's poetry and Connemara every day.
ReplyDeleteI think the portrait of them is one of my favorites of anyone I've ever seen. Wish you could have been with us, Elizabeth. We had a fabulous time...lots of laughs. Some time let me know which of his poems are your favorites...
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