Carl Sandburg’s Home

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We were aware Carl Sandburg’s home was nearby, but we also knew the house had been closed for preservation work. Seeing that it had been reopened, we drove to Flat Rock and saw it. Our visit was a bit premature, since the furnishings were back in the house but not totally unpacked.

I have one photo taken on the steep walk up to the house and another with John standing at the steps.

100818 Distant view of Sandburg home.JPG

100818 John at Carl Sandburg's home.JPG

The family moved to North Carolina from Michigan in 1945, and he died there in 1967 at age 89. I knew Sandburg was known for his popular biography of Lincoln, his poetry, and other writings, but I had forgotten he enjoyed singing folk songs at his lectures. Unless you are an expert on some historic figure, you always learn interesting things when visiting his home. The docent commented that the family paid little attention to furnishings. The furniture was utilitarian and totally unremarkable.

I was surprised that Sandburg always brought his wife forward in public, praising her work with goats. This was at a time that most men relished having the limelight for themselves. Her herd was well-known in goat circles. It seems goats had a habit of escaping, and somewhere there is a picture of a goat on the piano in the living room. We walked out to the goat barn and saw some of the goats descended from her herd.

A visitor offered to take our picture near the barn area, and I made John pose with the barn in the background.

100818 AM JC Mrs Sandburg's goat farm.JPG

100818 John with goat farm buildings.JPG

The outing was a very pleasant one, and we would be happy to go again with people who visit us. It would be better to wait a bit until the restoration is complete.

Published by Anne Mehrling

I'm a retiree who loves to write about life in the mountains of North Carolina.

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35 thoughts on “Carl Sandburg’s Home”

  11. How wonderful, Anne! I enjoy Sandberg…we’ve enjoyed his poetry together as a family and read a very interesting biography about him. I always forget to check into authors/writers/people of “renown” around our area and see if we can visit. That brings them to life so much more! ❤

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  12. Mrs. Sandberg raised goats? Huh. If I learned that in school when studying his poetry I don’t remember that detail. I like goats so you’d think I’d have latched onto a fun fact like that.

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  13. What a fascinating post. I love the goat connection too. When you come here again Anne, visit Stonewall Jackson’s house – pre Civil War. I was a docent there for 6 years and still find it interesting.

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    1. Thank you. I wished the other tourist had moved in close enough that our faces were recognizable in the photo. I took pictures with his camera of his party, taking a full-body shot first and moving in closer. His wife looked at them and exclaimed that she could see their faces.

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    1. Sandburg’s wife had more education than he did! She taught at the college level, and he quit school at 13. He later attended college, but did not graduate. As John reminded me, Sandburg was the voice of the common man.

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