1928 Little River Road
Flat Rock, North Carolina 28731-9766
Hours: 9-5 daily, except Christmas day
Admission: Adults, $3; children under 16, free; no charge to enter the grounds
Telephone: 704-693-4178
Connemara was built in 1838 as a summer home for C. G. Memminger, the first Secretary of the Treasury of the Confederacy. This large farm with five miles of walking trails is located three miles south of Hendersonville, North Carolina.
In the mid 1940s, Sandburg's wife, Lilian, decided that her prize-winning goats needed more room and a milder climate. She studied temperatures throughout the United States and decided North Carolina was the place for them to live. When Sandburg first saw the view of the Smokey Mountains from the front porch of the farmhouse, he knew his wife had found a perfect place for them to live. The farm had everything--a pasture for Lilian's goats, room for Carl's 10,000-volume library, and an agreeable climate for all.
The Sandburgs remodeled the home before moving in. They had the kitchen expanded and updated, ceilings lowered, bookshelves added. Connemara became home for Sandburg, his wife, three daughters, two grandchildren, Chula the Siamese cat, and Jackson the cocker spaniel.
Sandburg kept a stack of Sears, Roebuck and Company catalogs, a guitar, and a fire extinguisher in each room. He used the stack of catalogs to prop his feet on when playing the guitar. Typically, each morning Sandburg slept late while his wife and daughters took care of household chores and tended the livestock. Upon arising, Sandburg embarked on a strict exercise routine which included calisthenics, a brisk walk, and raising a wooden chair above his head several times. His writing routine included sharing his ideas with his wife and daughters or reciting a new poem or playing a song for them on the guitar. However, when he was creating new poems, he worked alone and late into the night, with only the stars to accompany him.
While living here, Sandburg wrote his only novel, Remembrance Rock (1948), and an autobiography, Always the Young Strangers (1953). He also served as a consultant for the film "The Greatest Story Ever Told" and wrote numerous volumes of poetry. While living in this home, Sandburg received, in 1951, a Pulitzer Prize for his book Complete Poems.
On display in the house are Sandburg's magazines, books, and research materials. Visitors are encouraged to take time to tour the barnyard, gazebo, greenhouse, and spring house. A bookstore is stocked with Sandburg literature and is open during regular hours. The Flat Rock Playhouse, North Carolina's State Theater, is located across the street.
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