Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and His Portland Home

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow grew up in the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, built by his grandfather in 1785-1786, and occupied by three generations of the family. On her death in 1901 Anne Longfellow Pierce, the poet's sister, bequeathed the residence to the Maine Historical Society. It opened to the public that year as Maine's first -- and one of America's earliest -- house museums, and the Maine Historical Society has welcomed visitors to this National Historic Landmark ever since.

This book celebrates the centennial of the Wadsworth-Longfellow House and its restoration. Extensive research of the family and their furnishings along with the reproduction of documented wallpapers, carpeting, textiles, and paint colors contribute to an authentic recreation of an historic ante-vellum American interior. The poet would recognize many features of his boyhood home as it appears today.