Lilian Sandburg was a nationally recognized breeder of prize-winning dairy goats, and the herd at the farm today is genetically descended from her original stock.
The house, originally built in 1838, was once owned by C.G. Memminger, the first Confederate Secretary of the Treasury.
Carl Sandburg spent his final 22 years at this location, producing more than one-third of his total body of published work while living here.
The estate library contains the remnants of Sandburg’s vast personal collection, including annotated volumes and rare historical documents.
The park maintains a registered herd of dairy goats that are historically significant to the property's agricultural heritage.
The house remained in the Sandburg family until 1968, when it was sold to the National Park Service.
The Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site preserves Connemara, the 264-acre estate where Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and biographer Carl Sandburg lived from 1945 until his death in 1967. The site features the original family home, which remains furnished with the Sandburgs' personal belongings including over 10,000 books. Visitors can access over five miles of hiking trails that wind through pastures, woodlands, and small ponds. The property maintains a working farm descendant from the herd established by Lilian Sandburg, focusing on the preservation of the American Dairy Goat breed. The home is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. It functions as a National Park Service unit dedicated to interpreting both the literary legacy of Sandburg and the agricultural history of the estate.
The front porch of the home overlooking the expansive mountain pasture and the goat barn.
Reserve house tour tickets well in advance online, as capacity is strictly limited and tours often sell out.
Wear sturdy walking shoes if you plan to explore the extensive trail system beyond the main house.
Check the National Park Service website for current goat-milking demonstration schedules, which vary seasonally.
Do not attempt to walk up the steep driveway to the house; use the designated visitor parking and shuttle or trail access.
The home is closed on major federal holidays and house tours are unavailable on certain days of the week; check official park alerts for potential trail or site closures due to weather.
House tours require visitors to wear booties over their shoes to protect historic flooring; food and drink are prohibited inside the home.
