" CONNEMARA " Home of Carl Sandburg

FOR THE 100th POST of THE WRITERS PORCH BLOG

A VISIT TO CONNEMARA in FLAT ROCK , NORTH CAROLINA

CARL SANDBURG 1878-1967

He was a Poet/Novelist/Minstrel/Biographer/Public Speaker

In 1945, Carl and Lillian Sandburg were in search of a new

home. A place where he could write and a place where she

could continue to raise her expanding herd of champion goats.

They found it in Flat Rock, NC at a place called Connemara.

July 22, 1967, Carl Sandburg died in a downstairs bedroom

at Connemara with his family around him. His funeral was

held at St. John In The Wilderness

Church near Connemara.

In 1968, Congress authorized the Carl Sandburg Home

National

Historic Site , making it the first national park to honor a poet.

The house was left exactly like it was the day he died. All contents

are still there, including the paper in his his workroom wastebasket.

I assume it is the first to also honor a herd of goats.......

Champion





Goats that is.......................

In 1940, Carl Sandburg was awarded the Pulitzer Prize

for his 4



vol. biography of Abe Lincoln titled " The War Years"

In 1951, he was again awarded the Pulitzer Prize

for "



Sandburg's Complete Poem's "

His workroom at Connemara is two small, west

facing rooms on



the top floor.......................

From the Flame Azaleas that greet you in the



parking lot

to the multiple Rhododendrons that surround the



grounds, beauty is everywhere.

Now this is a Sun Room.....................

With a view of gorgeous flora and fauna

The walking path to the dairy barns is a walk

through

nature......like this Hummingbird Vine

Wonderful farm buildings along the



path.....................

What an inspiring place to write!

The garden is still planted, tended and watched over by the scarecrow

Carl's wife Lillian was as famous for her herd of



prize

winning, champion goats as he for his writing........

The dairy house is still as it was......

I've forgotten the



name of this machine......

This was the cooler where the milk, butter and

cheese made at



Connemara Dairy was kept...

This was the cream separator , I think.....

The Sandburg's farm equipment and vehicles are still

here in



this garage on the left.................

This is the entrance



to the dairy.....

The herd of goats still at Connemara, are descendants of

the



original herd raised by the Sandburg's..................

This



is the sister.............

Of these two little guys.......a set of triplets !

These guys and girls " have it made in the shade "

Connemara has it's own Chickens and Eggs too......

I want to thank all of you for sharing mine and Sherry Austin's tour of Connemara and for being such great commenters and wonderful friends for the past 99 posts.