Homes With Stories
Some homes stay with me, not for their size or design, but for the lives they’ve held within their walls. I’m fascinated by how a single room can hold laughter, love, and countless moments that linger softly long after time moves on.
Recent Posts
Monticello – Virginia
Thomas Jefferson’s home at Monticello reflects the depth and breadth of his extraordinary intelligence. Remembered as our third president and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson’s brilliance is clearly visible throughout his home. At Monticello, you encounter not only a statesman, but an inventor, writer, architect and visionary. Every room reveals his curiosity and […]
Old Manse – Concord, Massachusetts
One homeschooling morning, I took Emmy and Erin to visit the Old Manse in Concord. As was often the case with weekday explorations, the house was nearly empty. Museums and historic sites were a big part of our schooling. Built in 1770 for the Reverend William Emerson, the Old Manse stands just steps from the […]
Wadsworth-Longfellow House – Portland Maine
Here is a photo from one of our visits to Portland, Maine, standing in front of the Longfellow House. Sitting right on Congress Street, in the middle of downtown life. is this Wadsworth-Longfellow House, the oldest surviving structure on the Portland peninsula. It was built in 1785-1786 by General Peleg Wadsworth, a Revolutionary War hero […]
Ghandi Smriti – Delhi, India
More than a decade ago, on my second trip to India, I visited one of the most memorable places I have ever stood: Gandhi Smriti, the site where Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. What made this visit so moving were the footprints. Set into the stone pathway, I walked where Gandhi took his final steps on […]
La Casa Azul – Mexico City, Mexico
In 2018, Erin and I had the opportunity to visit the Frida Kahlo Museum in Mexico City: La Casa Azul. This vibrant blue home is where she was born, lived, created and ultimately died. Walking through her sunlit courtyard and rooms, we felt the presence of a woman whose life was defined by color and resilience. Physical […]
Oliver Wendell Holmes – Beverley Farms, Connecticut
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., remains one of the towering figures in American legal history, whose ideas continue to shape constitutional law and the way we think about freedom and the role of courts. His life spanned history from the Civil War through the Great Depression with nearly 30 years on the U.S. Supreme Court. Holmes […]
John Brown House – Providence, Rhode Island
Perched on College Hill in Providence, Rhode Island, the John Brown House stands as one of the finest surviving examples of 18th-century American architecture. It also is a powerful reminder of wealth, ambition and the moral complexity of early American life. John Brown was one of Providence’s most prominent citizens in the late 1700s. Brown […]
Hill-Stead Museum – Farmington, Connecticut
On a day trip to Connecticut, we stopped to tour a remarkable home set quietly back on the rolling lawns in Farmington. We walked past the white facade with black shutters into the rooms covered with early impressionist paintings. These works once challenged convention and helped shape the future of art. Hill-stead was completed in 1901 […]
Booker T. Washington’s Home – Hardy, Virginia
During our 1996 family road trip to Atlanta for the Olympic Games, one of the historic sites we stopped along the way was Booker T. Washington National Monument in rural southwestern Virginia. Tucked into the rolling countryside, the site preserves the birthplace and early childhood environment of one of the most influential African American leaders in […]
Arrowhead – Pittsfield, Massachusetts
I’ve visited Arrowhead a couple of times over the years, and each visit leaves me with a deep appreciation of the home and the life that lived within its rooms. Nestled among the hills of Pittsfield, MA, this farmhouse holds an important chapter in American literary history. It was here, from 1850 to 1863, that Herman […]
Dorothy Quincy Homestead – Quincy, Massachusetts
Visiting the Dorothy Quincy Homestead in Quincy, Massachusetts was another chance to step back into the life of one of colonial America’s most prominent families. This landmark dates back to 1686, when it was built by Edmund Quincy on land settled by the family in the 1630s. The homestead was the childhood home of Dorothy Quincy Hancock Scott, […]
Schuyler Mansion – Albany, New York
After seeing Hamilton on Broadway, exploring the real-life connections from the play became a fun pastime. One stop was the Schuyler Mansion in Albany. This was the home of General Philip Schuyler and his three daughters: Angelica, Eliza and Peggy. General Schuyler was a decorated leader during the American Revolutionary War, serving as a major general […]
