The Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site is a state

historic site A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been rec ...

West Hills, New York West Hills is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Huntington, Suffolk County, New York. The population was 5,592 at the 2010 census. Residents share a post office with the hamlet of Huntington but much earlier in its hist ...

, listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. The site preserves the birthplace of American

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

Walt Whitman Walter Whitman (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among t ...

History

The Whitman family's connection to

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

dates back to the early 17th century and their property once covered 500 acres.Silverman, Francine. ''Long Island Alive''. Edison, NJ: Hunter Publishing, 2008: 184. Walter Whitman Sr., father of the poet, built this farmhouse in West Hills near

Huntington, New York The Town of Huntington is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York. Founded in 1653, it is located on the north shore of Long Island in northwestern Suffolk County, with Long Island Sound to its north and Nassau County adjacent to the west. ...

in 1816. Whitman Sr. was a Quaker and a carpenter and he built the two-story, cedar-shingled farmhouse by hand.Schmidt, Shannon McKenna and Joni Rendon. ''Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen's Bath to Ernest Heminway's Key West''. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2008: 46. The future poet was born here three years later in 1819.Oliver, Charles M. ''Critical Companion to Walt Whitman: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work''. New York: Facts on File, 2006: 350. The Whitman family's other three children were born here as well. When Walt Jr. was five years old, the family moved to

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. Whitman worked at various times as a printer, a schoolteacher, a journalist, a volunteer nurse during the Civil War, and a newspaper publisher. He returned to Long Island at age 17 to teach at a local school and founded the ''Long Islander'' newspaper. He eventually authored a book of poetry, ''

Leaves of Grass ''Leaves of Grass'' is a poetry collection by American poet Walt Whitman. Though it was first published in 1855, Whitman spent most of his professional life writing and rewriting ''Leaves of Grass'', revising it multiple times until his death. T ...

'', which sold poorly when first published but has over time come to be considered a masterpiece of world literature. The museum's web site says: Near the end of his life, he returned to the area and, as he reported, "rode around all the old familiar spots, viewing and pondering and dwelling long upon them, everything coming back to me from fifty years". Lilacs which grew on the property inspired Whitman's poem "

When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" is a long poem written by American poet Walt Whitman (1819–1892) as an elegy to President Abraham Lincoln. It was written in the summer of 1865 during a period of profound national mourning in the af ...

".Schmidt, Shannon McKenna and Joni Rendon. ''Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen's Bath to Ernest Heminway's Key West''. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2008: 47.

Museum today

The Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site & Interpretive Center is operated by the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association (WWBA),Howell, Steven. ''Great Escapes: Long Island''. Woodstock, Vermont: The Countryman Press, 2010: 60. which was formed in 1949 to preserve the home. It was designated a

New York State Historic Site The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYS OPRHP) is a state agency within the New York State Executive Department Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law § 3.03. "The office of parks, recreation a ...

in 1957 and in 1985 was added to both the

New York State Register The ''New York State Register'' is the official journal of the New York state government that contains information on proposed regulations and rulemaking activities. The ''New York State Register'' is published weekly by the New York State Depar ...

and

. It is run in collaboration with the

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYS OPRHP) is a state agency within the New York State Executive Department Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law § 3.03. "The office of parks, recreation a ...

. The site consists of three structures: The historic Birthplace which is maintained as the Museum, an interpretive center, and a gathering house used for exhibitions and meetings. The interpretive center includes displays of portraits, letters, and manuscripts and showcases Whitman's voice reading a few lines of his poem "America", originally recorded on an Edison

wax cylinder Waxes are a diverse class of organic compounds that are lipophilic, malleable solids near ambient temperatures. They include higher alkanes and lipids, typically with melting points above about 40 °C (104 °F), melting to give low ...

. The site offers guided tours, exhibits, an audio-visual show, events, a poet-in-residence program, and an annual poetry contest for local grade school students. The museum has nineteenth century furnishings, 130 Whitman portraits, original manuscripts and letters, artifacts, Whitman's voice on tape, and his schoolmaster's desk. The museum is open every day June 15 through

Labor Day Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United St ...

except for major holidays. In the winter it is open Wednesday through Sunday. There is a museum gift shop. Tours for school classes and other large groups may be arranged in advance.

References

External links

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Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site at NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
*
Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site and Interpretive Center
administered by the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association {{DEFAULTSORT:Whitman, Walt, Birthplace State Historic Site Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Historic American Buildings Survey in New York (state) New York (state) historic sites

Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site The Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site is a state historic site in West Hills, New York, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The site preserves the birthplace of American poet Walt Whitman. History The Whitman family's co ...

Biographical museums in New York (state) Literary museums in the United States

Historic house museums in New York (state) Birthplaces of individual people National Register of Historic Places in Suffolk County, New York Houses completed in 1815 Whitman, Walt Birthplace Birthplace State Historic Site

History

Museum today

See also

References

External links