Joy Farm, also known as the E. E. Cummings House, is a historic farmstead on Joy Farm Road in the
Silver Lake
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
part of
Madison, New Hampshire
Madison is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,565 at the 2020 census. Madison includes the village of Silver Lake and the village district of Eidelweiss.
History
The area was one of the first to have ...
. It was designated 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 1971 in recognition for its place as the longtime summer home of poet
E. E. Cummings
Edward Estlin Cummings, who was also known as E. E. Cummings, e. e. cummings and e e cummings (October 14, 1894 - September 3, 1962), was an American poet, painter, essayist, author and playwright. He wrote approximately 2,900 poems, two autobi ...
(1894–1962).
[ and ]
Cummings' parents purchased the farm, which is located near
Silver Lake
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
, in 1899 from Ephraim Joy. His mother deeded him the farm in 1929, and he spent time there every summer until his death in 1962. He was at the farm in September 1962 when he suffered a stroke; he died at the hospital in
North Conway
North Conway is a census-designated place (CDP) and village in eastern Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,116 at the 2020 census. A year-round resort area, North Conway is the second-largest village within the town ...
the next day.
The property includes a house and barn, as well as a small, two-story octagonal tower. The main house is a 1-1/2 story building consisting of four bays, of which the rightmost is set back. The house has a side-gable roof, which has been modified to accommodate a deck above the rear half. The front of the main block has five bays on the first level, with paired sash windows flanking a center entry. The entry has sidelight windows, and is sheltered by a porch deck that is accessible from the middle gable of three gable dormers that line the main block's upper level. This deck, like that above the rear of the house, is lined with a railing consisting of posts connected by top rails and lower rails forming an X. The barn stands just north of the house.
See also
*
E. E. Cummings House in Cambridge, Massachusetts
*
List of National Historic Landmarks in New Hampshire
This article is a List of National Historic Landmarks in New Hampshire. The National Historic Landmark program is operated in the United States under the auspices of the National Park Service, and recognizes structures, districts, objects, and simi ...
*
References
{{NRHP in Carroll County, New Hampshire
E. E. Cummings
Houses completed in 1923
Houses in Carroll County, New Hampshire
National Historic Landmarks in New Hampshire
Farms on the National Register of Historic Places in New Hampshire
National Register of Historic Places in Carroll County, New Hampshire
Homes of American writers