Exploring Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park
While in New Hampshire, we spent an afternoon exploring the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park (map ). The land has been owned by each of these families over the last 200 years, and has an interesting story backstory from the 1800s where the trees in the area were almost all cut down for wood products and to provide space for sheep to be raised. This deforestation lead to massive erosion issues and loss of habitat for many species.
We first went to the visitor center and learned a bit about the property and owners. We then went on a small tour of the first floor of the mansion (there is a small additional fee for this tour). The mansion on the property was built in 1805 as a Federal style brick home , and has since undergone major renovations to increase the size and change the architectural home to its current Queen Anne style . During our tour, we saw two original Tiffany stained glass pieces as well as original works of art by Thomas Cole , Albert Bierstadt, and William Bradford.
After the tour, we walked through the gardens at the back of the property and back down to the farm. The Billings farm and museum are separate from the National Historical site, and there is an entry fee.
This park is nicely maintained and tells the story of stewardship of the land and how we can conserve the beauty of our great nation for many generations to come.
