Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Mansion, Woodstock, Vermont

Front view of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Mansion
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park
54 Elm Street, Woodstock, Vermont

Wikipedia site

Three sided veranda, with lots of white wicker furniture.

Last month, I visited three historic homes on my "bucket list." This mansion and a castle, both in Vermont were toured the same day. The other house is about 35 minutes away from me, and you can read and see photos HERE.

Three families had ties to this house. George Perkins March (impressive biography, probably America's first environmentalist) built a smaller house on this propery. Frederick Billings bought the Marsh family farm in 1869, and the Billings lived here for three generations. Mary French, a granddaughter of Frederick Billings, married Laurence S. Rockefeller.

Front hall, above and below.

"Cathedral Rock, Yosemite" by Albert Bierstadt, 1870, purchased by Frederick Billings in 1871.

Dining Room, above and below.

Tiffany window. Too far for me to read, but fortunately, on July 4th, the facebook page for this park posted an enlarge photo, shown below.

"Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music creep in our ears; soft stillness, and the night, become the touches of sweet harmony."
William Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice

Both fireplaces are trimmed in glass made by Tiffany and Company. When the fireplace is lit, the colored glass glow.

Large living room. Both fireplaces with the Tiffany design are to the right.

Beautiful Library, on first floor. Photo of Julia Parmly Billings.

Tiffany glass above. Since I couldn't get closer, I took the photo below, of a puzzle, with great photo and explanation. 

Second floor hallway. Our guide went 45 minutes over our tour, by treating us to the 3rd floor. The seven of us didn't complain!

I believe this is the room Lady Bird Johnson slept in, when she was an overnight guest.

Children's Bedroom. 

I love these fire places.

From their facebook page, July 2, 2018, "The white building pictured below is our Belvedere.

This space functioned as: A pool house, a bowling alley and a Fallout Shelter.

Built in 1872, the Belvedere was designed as a bowling alley and rest area, to escape hot and/or rainy days.

In the 1930s, a pool was built abutting the Belvedere - soon the white building doubled as both bowling alley and pool house.

Then at the beginning of the Cold War, Mary and Laurance Rockefeller created a Fallout Shelter in the basement - a space large enough to hold 40 people! The shelter was designed to act as a retreat, in the worst case scenario of nuclear fallout drifting into Woodstock, VT."

Since I have Rockefeller in my tree, I was curious about Laurence's line. He was the brother-in-law to my 3rd cousin, 4 times removed, Almira Goodsell
Rockefeller.

I have decided not to use the Comment feature for my blog. If you would like to leave a comment for me or ask a question, please write me at my email: BarbaraPoole@Gmail.com. Thank you.

My reason is because since November 2017 to May 2018, I received no comments, but upon investigating I found that I had indeed received 167 legitimate ones and 1,000 were in the spam folder. Google Blogger had made some changes that I was unaware of. Please be aware that I do not know who reads my blog, I may know who subscribes, but that is all.

Visiting the Monuments and Old North Bridge 67 Years Ago!

My mother's college friend, Mrs. Williams and her two daughters came to visit us in Lexington, Massachusetts in 1958. We had already lived in that town for about four years, so I am quite certain the 1958 visit wasn't my first time there. One of the daughters, Dee Williams Malan and I were about the same age and when I lived in Alexandria, VA, she did too. We saw each other often, and once she came to Lowell,  MA for a quick visit. I am in the middle back, mother on the right and my two sisters are in front. So, who is who here? The two girls in front are ,u sisters. I am in the middle back, my mother on the far right.

HERE

On the 19 of April

1775

was made

the first forcible resistance

to British aggression

On the opposite Bank

stood the American Militia

HERE stood the Invading Army

and on this spot

the first of the Enemy fell

in the War of that Revolution

which gave

Independence

to these United States

In gratitude to GOD

and

In the love and Freedom

this Monument

was erected AD 1836.

Below photos taken 2013, 2015, Concord, Massachusetts.

I never knew the name of this monument, so Wikipedia came to the rescue. It appears it's just called the 1836 Monument. While on that site, I discovered some other very interesting bits of information, shared below:

"Bridge

The original North Bridge was dismantled in 1793 by the town of Concord because its use as a bridge had become impractical; a new bridge was erected a few hundred yards away. The bridge was rebuilt multiple times in 1875, 1889, and 1909. The current replica was built in 1956 and was based on drawings of the bridge built in the 1760s. The bridge was restored in 2005.

1836 memorial (above)

In 1836, when there was no bridge at the site, the residents of Concord erected a memorial obelisk on the east side of the river, the side closest to the town center. Inscribed on the eastern (approach) side of the monument is: "HERE On the 19 of April, 1775, was made the first forcible resistance to British aggression[.] On the opposite Bank stood the American Militia[.] Here stood the Invading Army and on this spot the first of the Enemy fell in the War of that Revolution which gave Independence to these United States[.] In gratitude to GOD and In the love of Freedom this Monument was erected AD. 1836."

On Independence Day, July 4, 1837, the memorial was dedicated, an event for which Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote his "Concord Hymn". The first, and best known, of the four stanzas of this poem is:

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,

Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world.

1875 memorial (below)

The first stanza of "Concord Hymn" is inscribed at the base of the statue Minute Man by Daniel Chester French. The statue, which stands on a 7-foot-tall granite pedestal, was cast in the Ames Foundry in Chicopee, Massachusetts and was made from seven American Civil Warcannons donated for the project by Congress. The statue, and the 1875 bridge, were dedicated on April 19, 1875 at a centennial recognition of the original battle of April 19, 1775."

1875 Memorial, more commonly known as the Minuteman Statue.

Past photo posts about the North Bridge Visitor Center, park and bridge in Concord, seen HERE and HERE. In reviewing the photos, I don't think I need to take any more photos!

What I Learned About the House Led Me to Discover A President John Adams Connection

The Captain William Smith house, built in 1692 is in the Minute Man National Historical Park in Lincoln, Massachusetts, and is one of several 1775 Revolutionary War-era houses you can see (and some are open) along the 5 1/4 mile trail. This one is now special to me because it connects to my family. See the genealogy below...the very last line!

Genealogy and history play a big part in my life. Whenever I go sightseeing, I always want to know about the person, special events, something about the house, and where they were buried. (Some examples are Daniel Chester Smith, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and others.) Once the park opens for the season and the NPS (National Park Service) guides are working, I will ask questions, like was the family living there when the Redcoats passed by twice, and where is William Smith buried.

Captain Smith's house may be seen from the road, but I had never seen it up close until last year. That is because you have to walk a good distance to it. Once I found out who he was related to, I had to share more than just a few photos. Below is a genealogy of his ancestors, a Google map shot from the air, and several more pictures.

From the Battle Road Trail, you can see the house and information board. The house is opposite a local unmarked road that takes you right to Lincoln Center.

Captain William Smith House

"This was the home of Catherine and Captain William Smith, commander of the Lincoln Minute Men and brother of Abigail Adams. His was the second-largest farm in Lincoln. When he received word from his neighbor Mary Hartwell that the British regulars were marching to Concord, he rode into the Lincoln town center and rallied his minute company. They were the first to arrive in Concord later that morning.

At the British column passed here in the afternoon, a mortally wounded soldier was left behind. The Smith family dressed his wounds and cared for him for three or four days before he died. Thinking he had caused the good family hardship, the soldier told them they would find a gold sovereign in the lining of his coat pocket. He is buried along the Battle Road, east of here near Folly Pond." *

The house was closed, so the photo below was taken through the dirty window (below).

I am anxious to read A Rich Harvest: The History, buildings, and People of Lincoln, Massachusetts by John C. MacLean. John was the researcher who solved one of my brick walls, that article may be seen HERE.

Marker in front of the Smith House

Boston Harbor

 13 3/4 Miles

A walk along the Battle Road trail is a taste of heaven.

Google map of the house in Lincoln  (the red arrow) and Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, MA (Lexington and Concord are a stone's throw away).

Descendant Register, Generation No. 1

1. William SMITH was born 1667, and died 1730. He married Abigail FOWLE. She was born 1679, and died 1760.

   

Children of William SMITH and Abigail FOWLE are:

  2  i. Abigail SMITH was born 1700, and died 1788. She married Simon TUFTS.

  3  ii. Sarah SMITH was born 1703, and died 1775. She married Samuel EDWARDS.

+ 4  iii. William SMITH was born 1706, and died 1783.

  5  iv. Anna SMITH was born 1708, and died 1781. She married Ebenezer KENT.

  6  v. Mary SMITH was born 1710, and died 1800. She married Ebenezer AUSTIN.

  7  vi. Isaac SMITH was born 1719, and died 1787. He married Elizabeth STORER. She was born 1726, and died 1786.

Descendant Register, Generation No. 2

4. William SMITH (William SMITH1) was born 1706, and died 1783. He married Elizabeth QUINCY. She was born 1721, and died 1775.

   

Children of William SMITH and Elizabeth QUINCY are:

  8  i. Mary SMITH was born 1741, and died 1811. She married Richard CRANCH. He was born 1726, and died 1811.

+ 9  ii. Abigail SMITH was born 11 NOV 1744 in Weymouth, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts, and died 28 OCT 1818 in Quincy, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts.

  10  iii. William SMITH was born 1746, and died 1787. He married Catherine Louisa SALMON.

  11  iv. Elizabeth SMITH was born 1750, and died 1815. She married John Shaw. She married Stephen PEABODY. He was born 1741, and died 1819.

Descendant Register, Generation No. 3

9. Abigail SMITH (William SMITH2, William SMITH1) was born 11 NOV 1744 in Weymouth, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts, and died 28 OCT 1818 in Quincy, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts. She married John ADAMS 25 OCT 1764 in Weymouth, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts, son of John ADAMS and Susannah BOYLSTON. He was born 19 OCT 1735 in Braintree, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts, and died 4 JUL 1826 in Quincy, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts.

   

Children of Abigail SMITH and President John ADAMS are:

  12  i. Abigail ADAMS was born 14 JUL 1765 in Braintree, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts, and died 1813. She married Henry William SMITH.

  13  ii. John Quincy ADAMS was born 11 JUL 1767 in Braintree, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts, and died 23 FEB 1848 in Washington, District of Columbia. He married Louisa Catherine JOHNSON 26 JUL 1797 in London, England.

  14  iii. Susanna ADAMS was born 28 DEC 1768 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, and died 4 FEB 1770.

  15  iv. Charles ADAMS was born 29 MAY 1770 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, and died 1800. He married Sarah SMITH.

  16  v. Thomas Boylston ADAMS was born 15 SEP 1772 in Braintree, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts, and died 1832. He married Ann HAROD.

  17  vi. Elizabeth ADAMS was born 1777, and died 1777.

The first two generations were done by the Massachusetts Historical Society, that I found through a Google search. I wanted accurate information, and couldn't count on some of the online sites providing that information. The information is located in the Smith-Carter Family Papers. The third generation was already done by me, because I already knew President John Adams is my 2nd cousin, 7 times removed. I was pretty excited to learn that the house belonged to the President's wife's brother!

* Update: On April 5, 2016, I called the Lincoln Library to see if they have information regarding William Smith's burial spot near Folly Pond. Since I had knowledge of their cemetery books, I felt that was the best place to begin my search for an answer. Apparently, there isn't a marker, and I was told that he left his wife and she, in fact, is buried in Quincy, Massachusetts at the Adams homestead!

The above paragraph was taken from: Descent from Glory: Four Generations of the John Adams Family By Paul C. Nagel, page 28.