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Travel New England: Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site

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Walking around the Coolidge Homestead in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, you'll begin to connect the humble beginnings of our 30th President with the quiet humility of the man known as "Silent Cal."  

Plymouth is a small community in central Vermont with over 600 residents.  Coolidge was born here on July 4, 1872.  And it was here in a parlor of his home that Coolidge took the Oath of Office early in the morning of August 3, 1923, upon the death of Warren G. Harding.  Coolidge suddenly became the 30th President of the United States.

The modest home where Coolidge was born on July 4, 1872.  The home was attached to the general store (Cilley's Store) that the Coolidge's then owned and operated.

Coolidge would attend Amherst College in Massachusetts.  He would start a law office in Northampton, Mass., where he would later serve as mayor and a representative in the state legislature and Senate. Coolidge would later serve as Lieutenant Governor and later Governor of Massachusetts.  Coolidge would be nominated as the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate and elected to the office as Warren G. Harding's running mate in 1920.

The Plymouth Cheese Corporation was started by Coolidge's father, John, in 1890.  It is part of the State Historic Site and still in operation today.

Coolidge ascended to the presidency upon Harding's death.  He was re-elected President in 1924.  He did not seek re-election in 1928.  He unexpectedly passed away from a coronary thrombosis on January 5, 1933, at the age of 60.

Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site preserves much of the land and buildings surrounding the Coolidge Homestead in Plymouth Notch.  It is a seasonal park open from late May through late October.  The park is typically open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.  Admission is $12 for adults and $4 children.  A family of up to six is a flat $30 fee.

Not far from his birthplace is Coolidge's final resting place.

I visited the site in early May 2012 - before the park was open for the year.  Visitors can still walk around the park; however, the buildings and museums are closed during this time.  When the Historic Site is open, visitors can take a guided tour through the homes and buildings that were part of Coolidge's life.  Also, a large museum and education center is on site.

All photos taken by the post author - May 4, 2012.

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