Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!

New England Road Trip 2024➤

My friend Patty and I hit the road again in October 2024. Our route took us through Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and upstate New York. Along the way we hit several National Park Service Units and historic sites. On day two, we spent the morning touring Hildene’s estate and gardens in Vermont.

The Lincoln Family Home➤

Nestled in the hills of Manchester, Vermont, Hildene was the summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln. He was the only surviving son of President Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. Robert built the estate in 1905 as both a family retreat and a place to connect with Vermont’s mountains and valleys. The Georgian Revival mansion, its gardens, working farm, and preserved railcar reveal Robert’s story and the legacy he carried as the son of a president. Today, a nonprofit organization cares for Hildene. In addition, it works to preserve the values of stewardship, education, and civic responsibility that Robert upheld.

The Gardens➤

Just beyond the mansion, Hildene’s gardens spread out in a colorful display designed to complement the surrounding landscape. Originally created by Robert Lincoln’s daughter, Jessie, the formal gardens have been restored to showcase both historic plantings and seasonal beauty.

From an upstairs bedroom, we first glimpsed the gardens. The carefully trimmed hedges formed geometric patterns that resembled the stained-glass window designs Jessie admired in European cathedrals. This elevated perspective revealed the order and symmetry of her vision before we explored it from the ground.

After completing the mansion tour, we exited through the back door and stepped into the gardens. The autumn beds were alive with late-blooming flowers—tall purple asters, deep blue monkshood, and dahlias in shades of cream and pink. Bright yellow coneflowers stood in clusters near the mansion, adding warmth to the clipped hedges. Beyond the formal layout, the mountains framed the view, their slopes washed in orange foliage that blended with the cultivated color at our feet.

As we continued, the garden paths guided us toward the wider estate. Jessie’s original design balanced symmetry with seasonal variety, and today the restored plantings keep that spirit alive. While spring brings peonies and summer brims with roses, autumn emphasizes texture and bold contrasts, just as we saw during our visit.

Finally, as we left the gardens, we stopped at the small observatory nearby. Robert Lincoln, an amateur astronomer, had it built to house a telescope and track the night sky. For him, it offered both scientific precision and a quiet pastime away from public life. Today it remains a reminder of his interest in astronomy, standing just beyond the beauty of the gardens his daughter designed.

New England Posts➤

• Mount Holyoke
• Cornish Windsor Bridge
• Saint-Gaudens
• Saint-Gaudens Mansion
• Saint-Gaudens Sculpture Tour
• Hildene
• Hildene: Gardens
• Hildene: Pullman
• Hildene: Farm
• Saint Kateri National Shrine
• Fort Stanwix
• Watkins Glen State Park

---

Location: 1005 Hildene Rd, Manchester Center, Vermont
Designation: National Register of Historic Places
Date designated/established: October 28, 1977
Date of my visit: October 4, 2024