Information panel for Memminger Trail
This landscape offered the Sandburg's an abundance of nature, against a backdrop of history dating from native peoples through Civil War and Civil Rights. Along with the Home, the site has more than 30 other buildings. The arrival of the Sandburg’s changed what was a wealthy summer county estate into a working farm to raise Mrs. Sandburg's prize-winning goat herd. In fact, the number of buildings on the property led Sandburg to say, "We didn't buy a farm, we bought a small village." Sandburg found inspiration to write amongst farm, field and forests, as well as his little garret loft upstairs in the house.
For a park of its size, Carl Sandburg Home has an amazing diversity of ecological communities. The park contains forests and woodlands, rock outcrops, little springs and ponds, grassy fields and meadows. Though only 108 ha (267) acres, the site is home to at least 519 species of vascular plants and fourteen different ecological communities. In addition to preserving a great cultural resource this park also preserves a significant ecological resource in a rapidly developing are that, if managed properly, will allow the region to maintain its ecological heritage.
Check out these addiitional Rover Resources for FAQ’s about the lake bridge, rock outcrops, farm, and Sandburg family, as well as tips to engage and inspire great visitor interactions!
Frequently Asked Questions
FRONT LAKE BRIDGE CLOSURE / DAM DRAINAGE
Why did you close the bridge/Why is there a detour? When will the bridge reopen? What happened to the lake/dam?• On August 9, the park closed Front Lake bridge for safety, due to drainage issues with the historic dam the bridge is built upon. Based on a visual inspection, there is a broken pipe in Front Lake. There may be other issues. We will know more when the dam is fully inspected. In addition to dam repair, we seek alternative bridge designs (since the bridge is built upon the dam). Inspection and repairs will occur as soon as possible. We do not have firm dates yet. Please check www.nps.gov/carl or our Facebook page for updates.
How will you fix the dam?• We are working with engineers to address the drainage issues, which may take months to resolve.
Has this ever happened before? Don’t you inspect the dam? How did this happen?• All park structures are inspected on a regular schedule. This is the first known failure of the Front Lake dam. In addition to dam repair, we are seeking alternative bridge designs (since the bridge was built on top of the historic dam).
When was the dam built? What was it made of?• Front Lake dam was built c. 1855. It is an earthen dam, with a stone spillway (wall the water flows over, to keep the lake level).
When was the bridge built?• The bridge was rebuilt in the 1970’s. It was extensively repaired in December 2021.
Has the dam ever been reinforced?• No, but it is inspected annually.
Why did the lake lose water?• Based on a visual inspection, there is a broken pipe in Front Lake. There may be other drainage issues affecting the dam. We will not know the extent of the damage until the dam is fully inspected.
Where does the detour go? • The detour goes on the unpaved .4 mile forest tail around Front Lake. Visitors then walk 1/3 mile up a steeply graded hill to the Sandburg Home and farm.
I CAN’T WALK UP THAT STEEP HILL. HOW CAN I VISIT THE PARK?SHUTTLE• Free Shuttle: The best option is to use our shuttle service, which transports visitors from the main parking lot, on Little River Road, to the Sandburg Home and goat farm. Visitors who need assistance up this hill are strongly encouraged to visit when the shuttle is running.• Shuttle Schedule: It runs on the days the Sandburg Home is open - Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, from 10am to 4pm. The shuttle will run until Sunday Oct. 30, 2022. The shuttle will pick up from the main parking lot every 20 minutes and make brief stops at the goat barn and at the restrooms near the Sandburg home. Visitors who need the shuttle should gather at “Shuttle Stop” signs in these locations. The signs list pick up times for each location.• Hikers Lot: Visitors may drive to the 24-space gravel hikers’ parking lot located 0.5 mile from the main parking lot on Little River Road and then walk .4 mile up a slight slope to access park buildings, restrooms, and hiking trails.Why are you providing a shuttle from the main parking lot?• Closure of Front Lake Bridge blocked access to our normal shuttle stop, located on the “Sandburg Home” side of the bridge. When will the shuttle end? What happens after the shuttle stops running? • The shuttle will operate until October 30, 2022, to get us through our busy fall season.• We are determining options now. Please check www.nps.gov/carl or our Facebook page for updates. • Visitors coming to Sandburg when the shuttle is not running should call 828-707-8125 upon arrival to the park. Limited options may be available.
I like the shuttle from the parking lot. Will you keep running it?• We know the steep hill can be difficult for many visitors. We are looking into options to improve access into the park from Front Lake. If you like this shuttle service from Front Lake parking lot, please contact the superintendent and let her know. Polly_Angelakis@nps.gov.
How much does it cost to use the shuttle?• The shuttle is free. The park is grateful to the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara for funding this service.
Who is providing the shuttle and driver? What did the shuttle cost?• The Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara contracted with The Trolley Company to provide a shuttle and driver.• The total cost for 4-day/week use, from September 1-Oct. 30 is $22,500. ($100/hour for shuttle rental and driver salary). NPS funded $10,000 to rent the 14 pp shuttle. The Friends funded $12,500 for remaining shuttle costs and the driver’s salary.
What are my options when the shuttle isn’t running? I can’t walk up that steep hill.• Hikers Lot: Visitors may drive to the 24-space gravel hikers’ parking lot located 0.5 mile from the main parking lot on Little River Road and then walk .4 mile up a slight slope to access park buildings, restrooms, and hiking trails.• Visitors coming to Sandburg when the shuttle is not running or those who can’t walk from the Hikers Lot should call 828-707-8125 upon arrival to the park. Limited options may be available.
ON FOOTI am able to walk up that hill. What are my options?• On foot: To access park buildings, restrooms, and trails on foot, visitors will walk an additional .4 mile around Front Lake, and then walk 1/3 mile up a steeply graded hill to the Sandburg Home and farm. • Hikers Lot: Visitors may drive to the 24-space gravel hikers’ parking lot located 0.5 mile from the main parking lot on Little River Road and then walk .4 mile up a slight slope to access park buildings, restrooms, and hiking trails.• On foot detour: To access park buildings, restrooms, and trails on foot from Front Lake, walk an additional .4 mile on an unpaved trail around this lake. Then, walk 1/3 mile up the steeply graded hill. • Hikers Lot: Drive to the 24-space gravel hikers’ parking lot located 0.5 mile from the main parking lot on Little River Road. Then, walk .4 mile up a slight slope to access park buildings, restrooms, and hiking trails
LAKE HEALTH
What will happen to the fish in Front Lake?• Although some loss of aquatic life has occurred and will likely continue, most aquatic life rebounds quickly. Some species become dormant; others go into the streams that feed into or flow from the lake. Front Lake was dammed in c. 1855.
Has Front Lake ever been drained before?• The lake has been drained in the past by previous owners, in order to do repairs. The NPS drained front Lake in the 1970’s, to repair the dam, and again in 2010 when the gate valve was replaced.
I thought you were going to use an aerator to help the fish?• Unfortunately, the lake levels dropped too low for an aerator to be feasible. Although some loss of aquatic life has occurred and will likely continue, most aquatic life rebounds quickly. Some species become dormant; others go into the streams that feed into or flow from the lake.
What is going on with Side Lake/ That looks low too.• In early May, 2022 we discovered a broken pipe that was causing Side Lake to slowly drain. A contract to repair the pipe was awarded on August 24, 2022. Repairs will begin shortly.
What will happen to the fish in the Side Lake?• Although some loss of aquatic life has occurred and will likely continue, most aquatic life rebounds quickly. Some species become dormant; others go into the streams that feed into or flow from the lake. Side Lake was dammed c. 1925.
Has Side Lake ever been drained before?• During the Smyth period (1900-45) Side Lake was drained annually for dredging. Side Lake dam was also drained around 2010 when the gate valve was replaced.
What fish are in the lake(s)? Any threatened or endangered species?• Some common species are blue gill and grass carp. There are no threatened or endangered species in any lake in the park
Why did you close the bridge? When will it reopen? What happened to the lake/dam?• On August 9, the park closed Front Lake bridge for safety, due to drainage issues with the historic dam the bridge is built upon. • Based on a visual inspection, there is a broken pipe in Front Lake. There may be other issues. We will know more when the dam is fully inspected. In addition to dam repair, we seek alternative bridge designs (since the bridge is built upon the dam).• Inspection and repairs will occur as soon as possible. We do not have firm dates. Please check www.nps.gov/carl or our Facebook page for updates.
What will happen to the fish in Front Lake?• Although some loss of aquatic life has occurred and will likely continue, most aquatic life rebounds quickly. Some species become dormant; others go into the streams that feed into or flow from the lake.
I can’t walk up that steep hill. How can I visit the park?• Visitors needing assistance are strongly encouraged to visit when the free shuttle is running:o Shuttle Schedule: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, from 10am to 4pm. o Shuttle Stops: Leaves the main parking lot every 20 minutes. Stops at the goat barn and at the restrooms near the Sandburg home. Look for “Shuttle Stop” signs (which include pick-up times).o In service until Oct. 30, 2022.• Hikers Lot: Alternatively, visitors may drive to the 24-space gravel hikers’ parking lot, located 0.5 mile from the main parking lot on Little River Road. Then, walk .4 mile up a slight slope to access park buildings, restrooms, and hiking trails.
What are my options when the shuttle isn’t running? What happens after Oct. 30, when the shuttle stops running?I can’t walk up that steep hill.• Drive to the 24-space gravel hikers’ parking lot located 0.5 mile from the main parking lot on Little River Road. Then, walk .4 mile up a slight slope to access park buildings, restrooms, and hiking trails.• Visitors coming to Sandburg when the shuttle is not running or those who can’t walk from the Hikers Lot should call 828-707-8125 upon arrival to the park. Limited options may be available. • Please check www.nps.gov/carl or our Facebook page for updates regarding options after Oct. 30, 2022
What is the origin of the name “Connemara”?
Ellison Adger Smyth was the property’s third owner and changed its name from “Rock Hill” to “Connemara”. Smyth’s ancestors were from Ireland, and Connemara is a district in Ireland.
How old is the house?
There is a mention of Memminger living in the house in 1838. It was remodeled by the Greggs in the 1880’s, Captain Smyth in the early 1920’s and then again by Mrs. Sandburg in 1945.
What is the size of the house?
7740 square feet
Source: Historic Research Study
What did the Sandburgs pay for the house?
They bought the home and land for $45,000 and spent another $50,000 in renovations before the family moved in.
How is the house heated?
The home is currently heated with hot water. Under the Smyths it was heated with steam heat, which was replaced with an oil furnace in the 1950s.
How many books are there in the library?
At present, there are about 12,000 books in the house.
Source: Paula Steichen Polega
Is this all of Sandburg’s library?
In 1955, Sandburg sold his personal library to the University of Illinois. They have about 5,000 of his books and papers. The park has about 12,000
Can I use the books?
Our website has a database that includes his book collection and much more.
What mountains can be seen from the front porch?
Looking north toward Asheville, you can see Bearwallow on the right and Sugarloaf on the left which are part of the Blue Ridge mountains.
Is there a Bible in the house?
There are several Bibles in the house, both in the downstairs study and upstairs bookcases.
Living Room:What is the history of the canes? Did Sandburg use a cane?
Sandburg received many canes as gifts from friends and admirers. Margaret and Paula, on separate occasions, said he did not use a cane.
Source: Margaret Sandburg and Paula Polega
What is the history of the wooden figures on the mantle in the living room?
The wooden figures were gifts from Axel Farb of Rockford, Illinois, an acquaintance of Sandburg.
Source: Carl Sandburg Remembered, Sutton, p. 96-97
Who played the piano?
Margaret and Mrs. Sandburg were the piano players of the family. The piano is a Conover brand and was purchased second-hand while the family was living in Michigan in 1929.
Source: A Life in Photography, Steichen, plate 93
What kind of pipes are those on the mantle? Did Sandburg use drugs?
Sandburg was interested in Oriental culture, and these opium pipes reflect that interest. Sandburg did not use drugs that we are aware of.
Who did the bust of Sandburg on the living room bookshelf?
Todd Schorr
Who made the painting of Sandburg above the record player?
Helga Sandburg Crile, Sandburg’s youngest daughter, is the artist. The painting was done in 1947.
Source: Museum catalog card
What is the bust on top of the bookcase?
The bust is a copy of Abraham Lincoln’s life mask. This copy is made of bronze and painted black. The original life mask was made by Chicago artist Leonard Wells Volk in 1860. The original life mask is in the Smithsonian.
Source: Article by Sandburg in the July 1963 issue of the National Geographic Magazine, and museum catalog card.
What type of guitar is pictured in the photograph by the piano?
It is a bell-shaped guitar made by Washburn.
Other photographs in the living room:
The photograph of the emigrants on the boat is entitled “Steerage” and is by Alfred Steiglitz. It was taken in 1907 and given to Sandburg in 1921.
The photograph of the lotus flower was taken by Steichen in 1915.
The two photographs of the woman and stone column are by Steichen in 1921. They are of Isadora Duncan at the Parthenon in Athens, Greece.
The photograph of Steichen is a self-portrait taken in 1920.
Source: A Life in Photography, Steichen, museum catalog cards, and Sandburg Correspondence files.
What kind of guitar is on the piano?
According to an interview with Carl Sandburg published in Look Magazine in 1956, it is a Monch guitar.
Downstairs Study:
What is the history of the table next to Sandburg’s desk?
The table is made of roof lumber taken from the While House during its rehabilitation in 1929. The table was given to Sandburg in 1939. It is made of wood that was part of the While House which Abraham Lincoln lived in during the years 1861-1865.
Source: Plaque on original artifact
What kind of books are those on the top shelves which are turned on their sides and have patterns on the page ends?
The books are mostly part of an old encyclopedia set, The National Cyclopedia of American Biography, 1901.
What is the history of the Sandburg life mask?
The bronze life mask was made by Dr. William Braye, husband of Margorie Arnette Braye, a close friend and correspondent of Sandburg. Dr. Braye was a dentist in the Washington, D.C. area. He made the impression using the material used by dentists for teeth impressions. According to Margaret Sandburg, Carl asked Marjorie Braye to play her guitar while the impression was being made, and the facial expression is how Sandburg looked while listening to music.
Source: Museum catalog card and Margaret Sandburg.
What is the history of the large photograph on the wall?
It is an enlargement of a photograph by Steichen of the Lincoln life mask that was taken in 1935.
Mrs. Sandburg’s Farm OfficeWho is the young lady in the photograph in the lower right corner of the bulletin board?
The Sandburg’s granddaughter, Paula Steichen Polega.
Who is the older man with the beard on the same bulletin board?
Mrs. Sandburg’s brother, Edward Steichen. The photograph was taken in 1959 when he was 82 years old.
Dining Room, Kitchen, Guest Room, HallwayWhat is the history of the Naval clock in the dining room?
The clock is a hand wound U.S. Navy ship’s clock.
Why did Sandburg wear the green visor?
Sandburg has surgery for the removal of pterygium (also known as surfer's eye, is a raised, wedge-shaped growth of the conjunctiva that extends onto the cornea) before he was married. After that, he wore a visor because he was very protective of his vision.
Source: Harry Golden’s Carl Sandburg
Mrs. Sandburg’s Bedroom
Who is the photograph of the Naval officer?
The photograph is of Edward Steichen, age 67. During World War II, Steichen served the Armed Forces as an ariel photographer.
Source: A Life in Photography, Steichen
Third Floor
What was the Crow’s Nest used for?
According to Paula and Margaret, it was an extra room that was occasionally used for guests and mostly stored books and records. It was named the Crow’s Nest by Edward Steichen, who spoke of the crow’s nest on the Naval ships he served aboard.
Source: My Connemara by Paula Steichen Polega and an interview with John Sutton, Nov. 13, 1980
What is the pipe on the wall on the staircase?
The pipe is a fire hose put in during the Sandburg occupancy. The Sandburg’s also installed fire extinguishers.
Basement
What is the history of the stove?
The Aga is a Swedish-style cooking stove purchased while the family lived in Michigan and then moved to Flat Rock.
Source: Margaret Sandburg
Who operates this facility?
The Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site is administered by the National Park Service, an agency of the United States Department of the Interior.
How did the government acquire this property?
After Carl Sandburg died in 1967, authorities from the National Park Service discussed acquiring the property from Mrs. Sandburg. She felt that the park would provide a place for people to learn about Sandburg.
The park was authorized by Congress on October 17, 1968.
The purchase price was $200,000 for the land and house. Mrs. Sandburg donated the furnishings.
The park opened to the public on May 11, 1974.
How many acres are there?
The park is about 269 acres with the accumulation of the Hill property in 2021. The Sandburgs owned about 248 acres.
Did the Sandburgs build the house? Who are the previous owners of the property?
Christopher Memminger was the original owner of the property. The home was built in 1838 as a vacation home for his family to escape from the hot climate in Charleston. Memminger was the Secretary of the Treasury of the Confederacy for most of the Civil War.
William Gregg was the second owner of the property. He was a Confederate veteran from Charleston.
Ellison Adger Smyth was the third owner of the property. He was a Confederate veteran and labor mill owner. Smyth changed the name of the property to Connemara. He made intensive renovations to the house and outbuildings to make it his full-time residence in the 1920s. He died in 1942.
Where are the restrooms?
Restrooms are located in the grey building next to the tenant house along the main gravel road. They are also located at the visitor contact station at the parking lot.
Where are the drinking fountains?
Water fountains are located at the visitor contact station at the parking lot, across from the barn, and in front of the restrooms in the grey building.
What do you do with the goat’s milk?
We are no longer a working dairy, so the goat’s milk is used to feed baby goats and for cheese making demonstrations.
What kind of goats do you have here?
Saanens (saw-nens) are all white and originated in the French and Swiss Alps.
Toggenburgs are brown with white markings. They also originated in the French and Swiss Alps.
Nubians can be black, brown, and white. They have long drooping ears and a Roman nose.
What does Chikaming mean?
Chikaming is a Native American tribe of the Great Lakes region. The Sandburgs named their goat herd after the tribe.
Did the Sandburgs sell the goat milk?
The milk was used by the family and sold through local dairies. They did not pasteurize the milk.
Why do we keep the bucks separate from the does?
Bucks give off a pungent odor during certain times of the year. Also, in order to keep a pure-bred lineage and prevent indiscriminate breeding.
Where is the “flat rock”?
“Flat Rock” is used to describe this area of land which has many granite rock outcroppings. These can be seen at the Flat Rock Playhouse, and across the street at the fire station.
Who lives in the big white mansion across Little River Road?
It is a private residence called “Saluda Cottages”.
Can you recommend accommodations / restaurants?
You must give at least 3 different options without expressing your personal opinion. You can also direct them to the Henderson County Visitor Center on Main Street downtown which has free parking and lots of local information.
What is the mausoleum on top of Glassy?
It is the final resting place of Roger Richardson Hill, from Texas, who bought the property in 1926 and was buried there in 1927. He is not related to the families who owned this property. The property was held in trust by Wells Fargo but has now been donated to the park for preservation.
