TechnoTourist Visits Hildene (Part 1)

Hildene is the historic summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln, the eldest son of President Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. Nestled in the Green Mountains of Vermont, the Manchester estate spans 412 acres and features a 24-room Georgian Revival mansion, a restored Carriage House, formal and informal gardens, and a small observatory.

When TechnoTourist visited Hildene one late-summer's day, it was easy to see why Robert Todd Lincoln built a home in this peaceful place. After serving as Secretary of War and ambassador to the Court of St. James, Lincoln labored as counsel and chairman for The Pullman Palace Car Company, then the largest American manufacturing corporation. Founded by George Pullman, this builder of railroad cars enjoyed its heyday during the 1920s, with a product line that included both freight cars and sleeping cars.

The Carriage House

Our tour of Hildene began in its restored Carriage House, now a Visitor's Center. After paying an admission fee and admiring a model railroad (complete with Pullman Palace Cars) running overhead, TechnoTourist took some photographs of a 1928 Franklin. Images of this classic car, along with details of its restoration, appeared recently in CR4's Automotive Blog. Upon parting with the Franklin, we hiked up a small hill to the Hildene mansion itself, entering a portico near a small, brick-lined plot of grass. This patch of lawn represents the size of the one-room log cabin in which Abraham Lincoln was born on Sinking Spring Farm in Kentucky.

The Center Hall and the Tall Case Clock

The largest of Hildene's 24 rooms is the center hall, a spacious entry with a case clock, elegant sitting area, and view of the formal gardens through French doors. For those on an engineering expedition, the tall case clock was of particular interest.

Built by Walter Durfee of Providence, Rhode Island, it stands 8-feet high and has a mercury pendulum bob, a moon dial, and nine tubes which play the Westminster and Wittington chimes. Also known as the Cambridge chimes or Westminster quarters, the Westminster chimes are often used in modern-day doorbells. The staff at Hildene believes that Robert Todd Lincoln bought this fine timepiece in the 1890s from Tiffany & Co. in New York City.

The Parlor

Used for entertaining visitors to Hildene, the parlor is to the right of the center hall and is paneled with wood from local poplar trees. Vermont is better known for its maples, of course, but the wood that Robert Todd Lincoln chose resembled rich mahogany and cost far less. Importantly, this local timber also took stain well. Complementing the parlor's walls are its floors, made from quarter-sawn oak. They create a tiger-tail pattern which can also be found in other downstairs rooms at Hildene.

Before we head upstairs, however, let's look take a look a the dining room, kitchen, and butler's quarters, shall we?

Editor's Note: Click here for Part 2 of this multi-part series. Part 3 and Part 4 are also available.