A VT "Presidential" Connection

After a recent visit to the (not in DC) White House, we visited another estate in Vermont, the Lincoln family homestead — it's not one owned by a former U.S. President, but the son of one. 

Like his father, the 16th President Abraham Lincoln, Robert Todd Lincoln was president, not of the U.S., but of the Pullman Palace Car Company.  Born in Springfield, Illinois, like his father, Robert never lived in a log cabin. 

Instead, the eldest son of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, lived at "Hildene" a hilltop estate in Manchester, Vermont.

In the summer of 1864, a 20-year old Robert Lincoln had visited Vermont with his mother and younger brother to escape the Washington, DC heat. The trio stayed at the (still operational) Equinox Hotel in Manchester. Mrs. Lincoln made plans to return the following summer with the President. A special hotel suite was built in anticipation of that visit, but President Lincoln was assassinated the following April in 1865.

Forty years later, that New England visit led him in 1905 to purchase almost 500 acres to build the Georgian Revival style estate for his wife and three children. The estate is located above the Battenkill Valley and also at the lower level of the valley with meadows and wetlands. Its name is from the old English words: “hil” for hill and “dene” for valley with stream. 

The Lincoln family spent three-quarters of the year at Hildene. A Lincoln descendent continued living on the property until 1975. 

We opted out of the (optional cost) guided tour figuring that the discounted admission fee of $19 each was steep. (I mentioned this was a discounted price; regular cost was $23 each.) Our mid-week visit, which followed President's Day weekend, was unhurried and  devoid of history-seeking school children. This meant we could explore rooms that were open at our own pace. The grounds were snow-covered at this time of year so we missed out on seeing the famed flower gardens; it's unlikely that we'll return in spring.

Internet source

During our self-tour, we overheard eavesdropped as a tour guide provided historical info to a small group. Like his father, Robert Lincoln was a lawyer and also a politician and served as Secretary of War (1881-1885) under President James Garfield. He law practice was very successful and he became wealthy representing corporate clients, including the Pullman Palace Car Company where he served as general counsel.

Years earlier, after his father's death, George Pullman had arranged to have President Lincoln's body transported from Washington, DC, to Springfield, Illinois, in a modified sleeper.

Lincoln believed he brought bad luck to politicians. He formed this conclusion because of his connection to three shootings: He was at his father’s bedside when he was assassinated (1865); he was present at the railroad station in Washington, DC when President James Garfield was shot (1881); he was at the Buffalo Pan-American Exposition when President William McKinley was shot (1897). Afterwards, he refused to attend any presidential functions.

After the 1897 death of George Pullman, Lincoln was named president and later became chairman of the board serving until his 1926 death. During his presidency, the Pullman Company became the largest manufacturing company worldwide, renowned for the excellent service of its African-American Pullman porters.

In July 1926, Robert Lincoln died at age 82 in his sleep in the bedroom shown below. The cause of death was listed as a cerebral hemorrhage induced by arteriosclerosis. Most of his immediate family are buried in the family plot in Illinois; however, Robert Lincoln is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. His wife, Mary, selected this burial site and wrote that she felt her husband "made his own history, independently of his great father, and should have his own place in the sun."

We learned from the guide that Hildene is furnished almost entirely with furniture and artifacts belonging to the Lincoln family.

A second floor series of rooms are dedicated exclusively to President Lincoln. Artifacts include one of his trademark stovetop hats and a mirror he reportedly used in his own home. (The exhibit included President Lincoln's death mask, which I did not photograph by choice.)

After the last Lincoln descendent to live at Hildene died in 1975 and the estate was left to the Church of Christ, Scientist (as Mary Todd had designated). Her will stipulated that the church maintain Hildene as a Lincoln family memorial. That became a financial burden and the church opted to sell the estate and land to developers. In 1978, the non-profit Friends of Hildene raised monies to purchase the property and began the ongoing process of restoring the estate and grounds.

If you have ever seen a film that included train travel from the late 19th to early 20th century, a Pullman Palace car (like the one above) may have featured. In 2011, after a two-year nationwide search ending in South Carolina, then two years of restoration, this 1903 wooden Pullman Palace train car arrived at Hildene and is housed near the estate. 

The car, named Sunbeam, dates to 1888 and is considered the finest example of a least-altered wooden Pullman Palace car. The interior includes a kitchen with crew quarters, a dining/lounge area, a bathroom, two private rooms, and sleeping berths and convertible bench seats to sleep 18 passengers plus two crew members. This informational sign provided complete details on its construction and capacity.

During the so-called Gilded Age (1870s to about 1900) it was estimated that over 100,000 travelers slept in similar Pullman cars. These cars were rich in handcrafted Victorian cabinetry and ornamentation. Pullman Company founder George Pullman was a trained cabinetmaker. The extravagant decor included detailed woodwork, upholstered furniture, draperies, window shades, and pull-down sleeper compartments.

It was formerly named Ortega and was used by the 25th U. S. President William McKinley. The Ortega and four sister cars were designed as private cars for Pullman's charter service and often referred to as "hotel cars on wheels.” The cars were often reconfigured for different uses and needs.When a rail company purchased a car, it was typically renamed. 

This is one of the 2 private staterooms on the car. Despite its elaborate for the time furnishings, it still seemed a bit very cramped to us.

By comparison to the more luxurious furnishings for passengers, the hallway leading to the back of the car which led to the kitchen was narrow. The dining room used by the two onboard porters was very conservative and utilitarian in design when compared to the other areas of the car reserved for passengers.

Over the years, the Pullman Company became even more more successful with Lincoln as its president. Darker interiors and furnishings were later replaced with brighter colors and conservative furnishings.

The company aggressively promoted train travel and tourism, especially in the American West. This led to the manufacture of high-capacity (and far less ornate) cars for the "economy-minded" and, by definition, less affluent travelers.

We've definitely missed the golden age of U.S. train travel, but this was a great opportunity to "see" what it was like years ago.