The Ida Tarbell House is a historic house at 320 Valley Road in

Easton, Connecticut Easton is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,605 at the time of the 2020 census. Easton contains the historic district of Aspetuck and the Plattsville census-designated place. Part of the Greater Bridg ...

. A simple farmhouse dubbed "Twin Oaks", it was the home of

muckraking The muckrakers were reform-minded journalists, writers, and photographers in the Progressive Era in the United States (1890s–1920s) who claimed to expose corruption and wrongdoing in established institutions, often through sensationalist publ ...

journalist

Ida Tarbell Ida Minerva Tarbell (November 5, 1857January 6, 1944) was an American writer, Investigative journalism, investigative journalist, List of biographers, biographer and lecturer. She was one of the leading muckrakers of the Progressive Era of th ...

(1857-1944) from 1906 until her death. She purchased the property with proceeds from her two-volume book on the

Standard Oil Company Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co-f ...

. Most of her writing after 1906 was done in the study on the first floor. The house was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1993 for its association with Tarbell's professional life. and

Description and history

The Tarbell House is a vernacular two-story, wood-frame structure, with a side gable roof, clapboard siding, and stone foundation. It is three asymmetrical bays wide, with a central brick chimney. The entrance is in the rightmost bay, with sidelight and transom windows and a shed-roofed portico supported by Doric columns and pilasters. The main block has been extended by a number of additions, most of which predate Ida Tarbell's ownership of the property. Only one addition, a sunroom, was made after her death. The property includes several outbuildings, including two barns and a caretaker's cottage, which were already extant during Tarbell's ownership. Ida Tarbell was born in

Erie County, Pennsylvania Erie County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the northernmost county in Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 270,876. Its county seat is Erie. The county was created in 1800 and later organized in 1803. ...

, to middle-class parents, whose livelihood was at one point threatened by the actions of the

Standard Oil Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co-f ...

trust. Their involvement in the women's rights movement convinced Tarbell to gain an education, and to avoid marriage. She rose to prominence as a writer for ''

McClure's ''McClure's'' or ''McClure's Magazine'' (1893–1929) was an American illustrated monthly periodical popular at the turn of the 20th century. The magazine is credited with having started the tradition of muckraking journalism (investigative journ ...

'' magazine, producing thoroughly researched articles on a variety of topics. Her major success was a multi-part series on Standard Oil, which was later published in book form as ''

The History of the Standard Oil Company ''The History of the Standard Oil Company'' is a 1904 book by journalist Ida Tarbell. It is an exposé about the Standard Oil Company, run at the time by oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, the richest figure in American history. Originally serializ ...

'' in 1904. Her techniques, which involved poring over large numbers of documents and interviewing many people, were the first significant use of techniques of what is now called

investigative journalism Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crimes, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years rese ...

. Her exposés, and those of other socially motivated journalists such as

Upton Sinclair Upton Beall Sinclair Jr. (September 20, 1878 – November 25, 1968) was an American writer, muckraker, political activist and the 1934 Democratic Party nominee for governor of California who wrote nearly 100 books and other works in seve ...

, led to them being called "

muckraker The muckrakers were reform-minded journalists, writers, and photographers in the Progressive Era in the United States (1890s–1920s) who claimed to expose corruption and wrongdoing in established institutions, often through sensationalist publ ...

s" by President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

. Tarbell purchased the property she called "Twin Oaks" in 1906, paying for it from the royalty income of the Standard Oil book. She used it as a retreat from the city, and did much writing there, producing a number of significant works. She made it her retirement home in 1924, and died in nearby

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnoc ...

in 1944.

Gallery

Ida Tarbell in front of the Ida Tarbell House.png, Ida Tarbell in front of the house (1915) Ida Tarbell House entry and stairwell.png, Entry and stairwell Ida Tarbell House living room.png, Living room Ida Tarbell House dining room.png, Dining room Ida Tarbell House garden.png, Garden Ida Tarbell House farm.png, Farm

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tarbell, Ida House Easton, Connecticut National Historic Landmarks in Connecticut Houses in Fairfield County, Connecticut Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut Progressive Era in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Fairfield County, Connecticut Buildings and structures in Easton, Connecticut

Description and history

See also

Gallery

References

External links