Where Gumbo Was #485
Congratulations to George G, who correctly guessed that Gumbo has spent the past week visiting The Mark Twain House, in Hartford CT.
Samuel Clemens was a rambler as well as a writer. He spent large portions of his life traveling the world. But his biographers say that the one place that he felt happiest and most at home was in the house he and his wife Olivia built in Hartford, Connecticut.
The Carriage HouseClemens first visited Hartford in 1868 to work with Elisha Bliss Jr., of the American Publishing Co., who were producing The Innocents Abroad. Hartford was a center of book production, with twelve publication companies in the mid-1860s. Olivia was the daughter of a wealthy family from Elmira, New York, and they were attracted to Hartford’s thriving cultural scene. The house was built next to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s home in the Nook Farm Neighborhood.
Harriet Beecher Stowe House
In 1874, the Clemens’ family moved into their new home. The house was designed by Edward Tuckerman Potter, who is best known as the architect of many churches throughout the northeastern United States, and many buildings in the Hartford area. The house came with all the bells and whistles, including running water throughout, and a series of tubes that allowed the family to speak with servants directly. But the budget was not totally unlimited, and much of the wood work is covered with stenciled paint, rather than inlaid.
Samuel and his family lived in Hartford for over ten years, and by all accounts, it is where they were happiest. It is also where he produced his most famous books, including Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Unfortunately, between the cost of constant upgrades to the house, lavish parties, and some really bad investments, by 1891, they were almost broke, and Clemens had to hit the road again, starting a speaking tour that that spanned the United States and Europe over several years. The family never lived together in Hartford again. Their middle daughter, Susy died of spinal meningitis in the house in 1896, and neither Olivia nor Samuel wanted to return.
The house was sold in 1903, and in 1929 the it was saved from destruction by the grand niece of Harriet Beecher Stowe. Over the past 94 years, the house has been renovated for safety reasons, and a visitor center was added to the grounds.
The Mark Twain House is a great way to look into the life of the person many people believe the the greatest writer from the United States.
Note: I use Samuel Clemens, rather than Mark Twain, because that is how he is referred to throughout the house and museum.
Nuts and Bolts:
The Mark Twain House is located at 351 Farmington Ave, Hartford CT
Hours are 10 AM. – 4:30 PM
Ticket prices are $24 adults/ $22 seniors/ $14 children
