Category: Vermont

Hildene: The Pullman Car

On By nationalparkswithtIn Vermont6 Comments
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 the Hildene estate and Pullman car 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 Pullman➤

One of the most unique features of Hildene is the fully restored 1903 Pullman palace car, Sunbeam. Robert Lincoln served as president of the Pullman Company, then the largest manufacturer of luxury railcars in the world. The railcar at Hildene highlights his connection to American industry and innovation, while also telling a broader story of labor, travel, and social change in the early 20th century.

From the gardens, we followed a quiet, wooded path to reach the car. The trail was short and well marked, and we chose to walk rather than take the shuttle available to visitors. The clearing opened suddenly, and there the Pullman car stood—an elegant piece of rail history preserved among the trees.

A docent greeted us at the site and began with an overview of Robert’s role at Pullman. He explained how Robert guided the company through the early 1900s, a period when rail travel symbolized both luxury and progress. Under Robert’s leadership, the Pullman Company continued to build lavish cars that carried wealthy passengers in comfort, but it also remained tied to the labor struggles that defined the era.

Inside Sunbeam, we were struck by its richness. The car glowed with polished Cuban mahogany woodwork, accented by gleaming brass fittings. Plush velvet seating filled the passenger areas, and stained-glass transoms sparkled above the windows. Some of these panes were Tiffany glass, though the interior’s elegance came less from a single feature and more from the combined effect of wood, brass, glass, and fabric. The result was a space designed to impress and envelop passengers in luxury.

Yet Pullman cars also carried another story. The company employed thousands of African American men as porters, whose work was demanding but whose presence helped create the nation’s first Black labor union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Their struggle for fair wages and dignity became a cornerstone in the broader fight for civil rights. Standing inside Sunbeam, it was clear that the car represented not only the refinement of its age but also the complexities of American history.

New England Posts➤

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