Saturday morning Laurie and I went to the Robert Frost Farm in Derry, NH. From the MA/NH border on I-93 it is a about a twenty minute ride. It is free to tour the grounds and barn (some photos and a gift shop are in the barn). If you want to tour the house it costs an out-of-state tourist five dollars for a forty five minute tour. The Frost Farm is owned by NH Parks Dept.
My advice, take the tour. I learned so much about Robert Frost in forty five minutes that it made my head spin. The guide, a NH park ranger, knew everything about Frost. For one thing, Frost moved a lot. He had 55 addresses during his life. He owned the farm for eleven years before moving on. I could go on and on about facts I learned, but you really should go yourself if you have any interest.
Unless I read it wrong, the website said photography was allowed outside but not in the house. However, the ranger said photography was alright but video was not. Because of my research, I did not bring my camera into the house. So I used my cell phone camera instead, yes I felt dirty!
After Frost sold the house the land was turned into a car junkyard (you read that right). When the farm was finally bought by the state it took ten years to clean the property before the public could visit. Because the house was out of the Frost family for so long there is very little in the house that is original. The house was restored to look as it did when Frost's daughter was a child. Unfortunately, she was nine when they moved away and when she came back to help with the restoration, she couldn't remember it all. None the less, it looks like a 1900 farmhouse, and there are a few original things that Frost surely used.
Outside you will find some apple trees. There is a very pretty field that Frost surely walked in hundreds of times. Along the perimeter of the property there is a trail. Every hundred feet or so there is a Robert Frost poem to read. Where two trails split off in the woods there is one ofFrost's poems. Any guesses which one? If you know it is "The Road not Taken" you would be correct.
We walked around the field and read most of the poems. I ate at least three apples from the trees careful not to eat any worms. They were very good apples though. After our tour we went through the gift shop and bought a Frost book of poems for $3.
I highly recommend this day trip. You don't have to love poetry (I don't) but if you like history or respect this great American author you will love the Robert Frost Farm. Check the website. In the fall the farm is only open Wed-Sun. It will close for the winter in October. Link and two more photos below.
https://www.robertfrostfarm.org/
 |
| Ranger Bob This crib is one that Frost's children used as babies |
 |
| Frost did sit here! |
No comments:
Post a Comment