i've always loved carl sandburg's poetry, so on the way to the mountains i stopped at connemara, his home in hendersonville, nc. for the last 22 years of his life. he and his wife moved from michigan to the 248 acre homeplace in 1945, because his wife, paula, was a champion goat breeder, and she longed for greener pastures and longer summers.
the house sits high on a hill, surrounded by pastures and fir trees. there is no air conditioning, so all the shades are drawn to keep it cool. in the basement is the 'summer kitchen'. it's underground and feels like air conditioning! there is a lovely old sink under the window.
paula and his two daughters ran the goat farm, raised fruits and vegetables, raised rabbits and geese, had honeybees and a dairy going. they did all the manual work, leaving carl to write till all houses, and leaving him a cup of hot coffee with goat's milk and honey on their way out to work.
photographs and words by rebecca wood