The William Cullen Bryant Homestead is the boyhood home and later summer residence of

William Cullen Bryant William Cullen Bryant (November 3, 1794 – June 12, 1878) was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the ''New York Evening Post''. Born in Massachusetts, he started his career as a lawyer but showed an interest in poetry ...

(1794–1878), one of America's foremost poets and newspaper editors. The estate is located at 205 Bryant Road in

Cummington, Massachusetts Cummington is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 829 at the 2020 census, down from 872 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Cummington ...

, overlooks the

Westfield River The Westfield River is a major tributary of the Connecticut River located in the Berkshires and Pioneer Valley regions of western Massachusetts. With four major tributary branches that converge west of the city of Westfield, it flows (measured ...

Valley and is currently operated by the non-profit

Trustees of Reservations The Trustees of Reservations is a non-profit land conservation and historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving natural and historical places in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is the oldest land conservation nonprofit organ ...

. It is open to the public on weekends in summer and early fall for tours with an admission fee.

History

The Homestead was originally built in 1783 by Bryant's grandfather, Ebenezer Snell. It is set on a hillside above the

valley with views of the Hampshire Hills. The early form of the house appears to have been a Dutch Colonial gambrel of 1.5 stories, with a single story ell attached to the rear. Bryant's father, Peter Bryant, purchased the property in 1799, and it is in this place that Bryant spent much of his childhood and early life. The future poet moved in at age four and remained there until he was 22. Bryant briefly attended

Williams College Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a col ...

but called his education there "meager and slight" and left after only seven months, returning to the family Homestead in May 1811. After private study, he was admitted to the bar in 1815 and practiced law in nearby

Plainfield, Massachusetts Plainfield is a town on the northwestern edge of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, about 25 miles east of Pittsfield and 30 miles northwest of Northampton. The population was 633 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, ...

. He would walk seven miles from home to work every day. It was on one of these commutes, in December 1815, that he saw a single bird flying on the horizon and was inspired to write his poem "

To a Waterfowl "To a Waterfowl" is a poem by American poet William Cullen Bryant, first published in 1818. Summary The narrator questions where the waterfowl is going and questions his motives for flying. He warns the waterfowl that he could possibly find dan ...

". The property was sold out of the family in 1835. Bryant bought back the family home in 1865 and renovated it extensively. He had the original building raised up, and built a whole new first floor underneath it. He also had added to the building a replica of his father's office, and later added a major addition to the northwest side of the house. Bryant was also responsible for planting the property with fruit trees. Several of Bryant's poems are inspired by his time in Cummington, particularly in the landscape that surrounded it, including "Lines on Revisiting the Country", "The Rivulet", and "Inscription for the Entrance to a Wood".Muller, Gilbert H. ''William Cullen Bryant: Author of America''. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2008: 6–7.

Modern history

The property remained owned by members of the Bryant family until 1929, when it was donated by the poet's granddaughter to

The Trustees of Reservations The Trustees of Reservations is a non-profit land conservation and historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving natural and historical places in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is the oldest land conservation nonprofit orga ...

. The Homestead 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 1962.Polly M. Rettig and J. Walter Coleman (February 14, 1975) , National Park Service and The house is filled with furnishings and mementos from three generations of the Bryant family including exotic travel memorabilia from Europe and the Middle East and artifacts relating to rural life.Danilov, Victor J. ''Famous Americans A Directory of Museums, Historic Sites, and Memorials''. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2013: 189. The surrounding landscape has changed little since the early 1800s and includes a stand of old-growth forest, a grove of pine trees, and nearly 200-year-old sugar maple trees. Included in the property are a visitor center, gift shop, barn, picnic areas, and two and a half miles of trails and roads. Annually, about 7,000 people visit the site.

Gallery

Appletons' Bryant William Cullen Cummington house.jpg, 1900 drawing of the house Bryant Barn.jpg, Bryant Barn William Cullen Bryant in his study (at) Cummington - S. Hollyer. LCCN2013645199.jpg, Bryant in his study at the homestead

References

External links

The Trustees of Reservations: William Cullen Bryant Homestead

at nps.gov {{DEFAULTSORT:Bryant Houses completed in 1783 The Trustees of Reservations National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts Historic house museums in Massachusetts Biographical museums in Massachusetts Literary museums in the United States Museums in Hampshire County, Massachusetts Houses in Hampshire County, Massachusetts Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in Hampshire County, Massachusetts Protected areas established in 1929 Old-growth forests 1929 establishments in Massachusetts Homes of American writers Cummington, Massachusetts

History

Modern history

Gallery

See also

References

External links