Vermont Attractions: Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home Part 2

The animals on the farm at Hildene are managed using rotational grazing. They are moved onto fresh grass many times during the growing season.

The formal garden was designed by Robert Todd Lincoln’s daughter, Jessie in 1907. Her desire for the look of the garden was for it to resemble a “stained-glass Gothic cathedral window.” The panes of “colored glass” were produced by different colored flowers and privet hedge was planted to represent the “leading” between the panes. Over 1,000 peony blossoms from the original plantings fill the garden with color in mid-June at the Lincoln Family Home in Manchester, Vermont.

Three hundred feet below the main house and gardens are the Meadowlands in the lush Battenkill Valley. Many of Hildene’s special events are held on land once used as grazing pastures for the Lincoln’s livestock and as an airstrip by Peggy Beckwith. Farmhouses, outbuildings, and an 1832 one-room schoolhouse also reside on the Meadowlands.

There was once much activity in the cutting and kitchen gardens at Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home in Manchester, Vermont. The Lincoln family servants gathered an abundance of fruit, flowers and vegetables from the kitchen gardens for household use. A playhouse for the Lincoln grandchildren once stood at the edge of the garden.

Walking Trails

Guests at Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home are encouraged to explore Hildene’s natural areas on walking trails. Interpretative signs along the Farm Loop Trail highlight a variety of trees, shrubs, ferns and other natural pheonomena.

Weddings

Wedding ceremonies held at the Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home in Manchester, Vermont will be a day to remember. Hildene’s scenic Vermont village setting is a unique destination for wedding ceremonies.

For an indoor wedding ceremony, Robert Todd Lincoln’s formal dining room and entry hall with its grand staircase provides a lovely background for an intimate wedding, dinner and/or reception. This area is especially warm and cozy when snow falls and the 412 acres of the Hildene estate become a winder wonderland.

Outdoor wedding ceremonies held on the grounds of Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home in Manchester, Vermont offer breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and the sweeping valley below. The restored formal gardens at the rear of the house provide a beautiful background for a wedding ceremony outdoors.

Other events that can be held at Hildene

The seasonal tent at Hildene provides a gracious setting for any type gathering. The support building is equipped with a prep kitchen and beautiful restroom facilities. Hildene hosts a number of special events throughout the year and is also available for private use for small group dinners and corporate receptions.

Board meetings, corporate retreats and presentations can be held in Hildene’s Peggy Beckwith room in the Visitor Center Pavilion. Half day or full day gatherings can be paired with use of the terrace when available. House or event tent can be reserved for breakfasts, lunches or dinners.

For more contact information regarding reservation for weddings, meetings and other events follow the link in the resource box at the end of this article.

Continued in Part 3

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.nn© 2007 Connie Limon All Rights Reserved