Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-05-10
MR.. LoNaFELLow's HOUSE.

Longfellcw's house, known in Cambridge
as the Craigie Mansion, is an ample, digni.
fed residence, built in colonial days and
standing in the midst of broad fields. 1t
looks across meadows to the winding
Charles and the gentle hills beyond. Great
elms and fragrant hlacs and syringas stand
by the wide path which leads to the door,
and the passer.by often caught glimpse
OF the poet pacing up and down the shaded
piazza half screened by the shrubbery.
Here came in the summer of 1887 slight,
studious-l looking young man, who lifted
the huge brass knocker which hung upon
the front door, and very likely thought of
the great General Washington as he let it
fall with clang He had called to see the
owner of the house, Mrs. Andrew Cragie,
the widow of the Apothecary. General of
the Northern Provincial Army of the Rev.
olution. The visitor asked if there was a
room in the house which he could occupy.
The stately old lady, looking all the more
dignifed for the turban which was wound
about her head, replied as she looked at
the youthful figure
81 lodge students no longer"
But | am not a student, replied the
youth, llama professor in the university"
GA professor % She looked curiously
at one SO unlike most professors in appear.
ance.
81 am Professor Longfellow," he said.
"Ah, that is different. / will show you
what there is" She led him up the wide
staircase and, proud of her house, opene /
one spacious room after another only to
close the door of each, saying, ou can
not have that" until at length she led him
into the southeast corner room on the sec-
ond story.
"This was General Washingtons cham
ber, she said "you may have this" and
here he gladly set up his home.
The house was a large one, and already
lived there. Afterwards, when Mr.. Long
fellow was keeping house in it, the maker
of the dictionary, Joseph E. Worcester,
shared it with him. There was room for
each family to keep separate establish.
ment, and even third could have found
independent quarters. When Mrs. Craigie
died Mr.. Longfellow bought the house,
and it has remained his property ever
since. 1t is a quaint old house, built
probably not far from the middle of the
last century, for an iron in the back OF one
of the chimneys bears the date 1859. AT
the beginning of the Revolution it was pur.
chased by the Colonial Government and
became Washineton's headquarters after
the battle of Bunker Hill. The poets
study was General Washington's room.
The parlor opposite was Lady Washington's
parlor. The large room in the rear, now
converted into family library, was appro-
priated to the aides-de. camp. After the
Revolution Mr.. Craigie bought the house
with it's two hundred acres, but when he
left it to his widow the estate was reduced
to eight acres, and the widow was obliged
to take dodgers to exc out her scanty in
come.
Here, too, is the pen presented by
Beautiful Helen of Maine" with its iron
link from the chain of Downward the old
and yellow Danish song book, the antique
pitcher and the famous group of Mr.. Long
fellows daughters painted by Buchanan
Read. All these were celebrated in the
poets songs, for one of the great secrets of
Longfellow's power was the art with which
he brought all the treasures of Old World
stories, and all the hopes of the New, to
one central shrine-his own fireside.