Monday, August 6, 2018

PLYMOUNT NOTCH AND PRESIDENT CALVIN COOLIDGE

I have to admit that I didn't know President Calvin Coolidge was born and grew up in Vermont. We were having breakfast at Bailey's Mills Bed & Breakfast where we stayed while in Vermont. Our hostess, Barbara, had joined us and was suggesting some places we might want to visit while we were there. When she mentioned President Calvin Coolidge's birthplace, we both were surprised to know it was fairly close by. We asked my uncle Sam and aunt Eleanor when they came to pick us up a little while later, if it was on their list of things they planned to show us. I'm not sure if it was, but they said we would be going there.

We love to visit residences of presidents and were excited to be adding President Coolidge's to our list. We were even more amazed to discover it was just not his house but the entire town which is called Plymount Notch Historic District. You can read all about it (why spend time retelling it to you when someone else can do a better job than I could doHERE. I hope you will check it out because it is really well done and very thorough. I'll just share my pictures of it especially since they don't include pictures of everything on the website.

His birthplace...He was born in a first floor bedroom on July 4, 1872...

The birthplace is on the backside of the Florence Cilley General Store built in 1850...

The homestead...They moved here (across the street) in 1876...

The Union Christian Church (built in 1840)

The family pew is the one with the flag.

The Wilder House - read about it on the website...(also Calvin's mother's childhood home)

The road runs through the village...watch out for cars...

The cheese factory where they still make cheese...


Inside the Wilder Horse Barn... read about this mail carrier's sleigh in the picture below. This was really fascinating to see...


The Concord Coach was used on the mail route between Woodstock and Reading, Vermont...later The Eagle Flyer transported passengers from the Woodstock railroad station to the Woodstock Inn.


The Wilder Barn (a "bank barn" - so exciting to be in one - I love Barnwood Builders...)


I didn't take a picture of the Visitors' Center but they do have one on the linked website. (but I got a picture of the sign outside...ha)

In the Visitors' Center the furniture was made from maple trees that had been tapped to get the sap to make maple syrup. All of thee black "dots" are actually holes where the tree had been tapped. It was really beautiful furniture. I just took a picture of a coffee table. The end tables and couches were also made from similar wood slabs...

President Coolidge is buried in the cemetery with other family members. You can see a picture on the linked website. 

In case you missed my post last Friday of Beautiful Vermont, you can get there quickly from HERE. 
OR if you want to read about Bailey's Mills Bed & Breakfast and her fantastic Blueberry Muffins, check HERE.

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