Abraham Lincoln’s Only Surviving Son Built This 24-Room Vermont Mansion Open for Tours Today

Hildene, Vermont

Most people know about Lincoln’s log cabin, but his son Robert lived very differently. As president of the Pullman Company, Robert built a grand estate in Manchester, Vermont. Here’s how this Lincoln retreat became one of Vermont’s most fascinating historic sites.

Lincoln Family Legacy

Robert Todd Lincoln was the only child of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln to survive to adulthood. Of the four Lincoln sons, only Robert lived beyond his teenage years.

Robert was present at Appomattox Courthouse for the Confederate surrender during the Civil War as a captain serving under General Ulysses S. Grant.

Robert Todd Lincoln’s Vermont Connection

Robert Todd Lincoln first visited Manchester, Vermont in summer 1863 when the family stayed at the Equinox Hotel to escape Washington’s heat.

As a 20-year-old Harvard student, he traveled with his mother Mary Todd Lincoln and younger brother Tad during the Civil War.

Robert served as Secretary of War under Presidents Garfield and Arthur before his Pullman Company presidency. In the 1890s, he returned to Manchester to visit a business partner and found the property.

Building the Georgian Revival Mansion

Construction on Hildene began in 1903 while Lincoln was president of the Pullman Company, America’s largest manufacturing corporation. At the time, the Pullman Company made railroad sleeping cars and hired thousands of workers.

The original property purchase was 392 acres of land for what Lincoln called his “ancestral home.” The name “Hildene” comes from Old English words meaning “hill” and “valley with stream,” showing the estate’s dramatic natural setting.

The mansion was furnished with pieces from Mrs. Lincoln’s family and future generations.

The Formal Gardens

The formal garden was designed in 1907 by Robert’s daughter Jessie Lincoln Beckwith as a birthday gift for her mother.

The most celebrated feature of the gardens are the peonies, which bloom each June. More than 1,000 peony plants create a stunning display during the early summer.

Beyond the formal garden, Hildene includes cutting gardens, kitchen gardens, a butterfly garden, and an Apple Tree Allee. The cutting garden provides flowers for arrangements inside the mansion, while the kitchen garden once supplied vegetables for the family’s table.

Saving Hildene

When she died in 1975, she left the estate to the Church of Christ, Scientist. Mary Beckwith’s will stipulated that the church maintain Hildene as a memorial to the Lincoln family.

The Church of Christ realized they couldn’t maintain the property and planned to sell to developers.

Worried about losing this historic site, Manchester community members formed the Friends of Hildene to step in. In 1978, the Friends of Hildene successfully purchased all 412 acres and 14 historic buildings.

Visiting Hildene

Hildene is open daily from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Located at 1005 Hildene Road in Manchester Center, Vermont, the estate welcomes visitors throughout the year.

Self-guided tours allow visitors to explore at their own pace, while guided options provide deeper historical context.

Winter visitors can enjoy cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, with equipment rentals available on-site.

The Museum Store sells Hildene’s goat cheese, including chèvre, aged goat tomme, and the cow’s milk Maple Rum Leaf cheese.

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