Quote: The Carl Sandburg Home, National Historical Site is located in Flat Rock, North Carolina. This is where the Pulitzer Prize winning author / poet decided to move at the age of 67, and spent the last 22 years of his life. Once you visit here you will understand why they never wanted to leave. The house has a strange history to it, built by Christopher Memminger who was the Secretary of Treasury of the Confederate State of America, ended up being lived in by the man who won literary acclaim for writing the biography of Abraham Lincoln, history does make strange bedfellows. Sandburg continued to work everyday while he was here; he once stated "Retirement is OK as long as it doesn’t interfere with your work".When they moved here from Michigan, part of their luggage was 14000 books that he had collected during his life, when you tour the house just about every wall has a bookcase filled to the brim, the hallways have books and magazines stacked halfway up the walls. I think the greatest thing about the house is that it went right from the Sandburg family to the National Park Service, with everything staying in the house just as the Sandburg’s left it.While Carl was busy with his writings, Mrs. Sandburg and her daughter were busy out at the barn raising their prize winning dairy goats, the walls of Mrs. Sandburg’s office in the house are covered with ribbons and awards she won for her prize goats. She was also recognized as one of the top breeders in the country. At their peak they had over 200 animals, which were milked twice a day at the milking barn with the product being sold in the local community. They still have some descendants from the original championship goats that they breed and milked.There are plenty of places on the grounds to enjoy a picnic lunch and there are over 5 miles of marked and maintained trails to walk and explore all of the 240 acres. We were there the second week of April and the goats had just given birth about a week earlier so we got to enjoy watching them stumble around the barn and yard. Without a picnic or doing any of the trails figure on about an hour and a half to two hours to enjoy the site.
From journals Carl Sandburgs Home - NHS