Playing “I Spy” at the Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site on Long Island, New York

The Walt Whitman Birthplace and State National Historic Site in Huntington on Long Island, New York is the former home of the Whitman family, including one of America’s greatest poets, Walt Whitman, who was born in the first floor bedroom in 1819. 

Walt’s father, Walt Sr., built the two story farmhouse, originally on 68 acres of farmland, in the early 1800s for a wealthy family. By 1816, the family had lost their wealth and the house went into foreclosure. Walt’s dad gathered enough money to purchase the estate for his family. Walt and his three siblings were all born on the property in the late 1810s and early 1820s and the family worked to make the farm a success. However, by 1823, Walt Sr. decided to sell the property and moved the family to Brooklyn, New York.

Several families lived on the farm throughout the 19th and early 20th century. In the 1940s, the community, organized by the Huntington Historical Society, wanted to preserve the property and created the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association in 1951. In 1957 the site became New York’s 22nd state historic site and opened to the public. Today visitors are welcome to explore the 1.5 acres property which includes the Interpretive Center and main house and learn all about the life and works of one of America’s most influential poets.

Travel Tips:

Playing “I Spy” while touring the main house:

• Look for signs of wealth like the numerous windows (expensive and not necessary for a “farmhouse”), the interior blue paint color (which was considered an expensive color for the time), and two doors in every room
• Swinging handle for the pots in the fireplace of the South Parlor (used on weekends for socializing)
• Cupboard the South Parlor, which showed off the carpentry skills of Walt’s dad and also indicated that the family had enough clothes to fill the shelves.
• The length of the cradle in the North Parlor Room, known as the Birth Room.
• Chamber pots under the beds in the second floor Guest Room
• Toddler training chamber pot in the Main Bedroom-the whole family stayed in the main bedroom when the kids were out of the newborn stage.
• Original chair from the house in the Grandmother’s Bedroom and the bed warmer used under the bed
• The original beams and nails in Attic Room
• The narrow dining table in the kitchen (the family never lingered over food) and the yoke, which women wore on their shoulders to help them carry heavy water
• Long spoon hanging in the kitchen, which women used to protect their long dresses from the fires
• Candle making materials in the kitchen (they used the animal fat drippings from the meat as the base for the candles) to make candles and not waste anything.
• Water buckets, made from leather, by the front door, in case a fire got out of hand and threatened the house

Other Places to Explore on the Property:

1. The Interpretive Center, opened in 1997, has an exhibit featuring timeline of Whitman’s life (highlighting his founding of the The Long-Islander newspaper, multiple editions of Leaves of Grass, his experiences in Washington DC supporting soldiers during the Civil Wars and the two debilitating strokes he endured in 1873 and 1888) and copies of his writing, including a first edition of Leaves of Grass. There are also dozens of portraits of Whitman, one of the most photographs poets of all time. The space is also used for lectures and special events and programs.
2. The Care Taker’s Residence to the right of the house, built in the 1950s to protect looters or curious visitors from taking things from the property or harming it. Today, a caretaker still lives on the property at night and on weekends and oversees the property.
3. The Gathering House Barn, mainly used for school programs and small group workshops
4. The grounds and gardens: Peek down into the well, which was just replaced on the site of the original well. See a life size bronze statue of Whitman made by Jo Davidson (other castings of the statue are on display at Bear Mountain State Park in New York and at the entrance to the Walt Whitman Bridge, connecting Pennsylvania and New Jersey). Check out the various gardens, which include medicinal plants and flower gardens.

Looking for other adventures on Long Island? Check out our feature of Planting Fields Arboretum, the Long Island Aquarium, the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium, our feature of Eagle’s Nest inside the Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium, and our full City Guide to Sag Harbor.

Disclosure: Our family was given a media pass to explore the site; all opinions expressed are my own.