The Mark Twain House

Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) and his wife, Olivia, moved to Hartford in 1871, and were immediately attracted to the Nook Farm area, home to literary, political and religious leaders who helped shape post-Civil War America. Deciding to build there, they began working with architect Edward Tuckerman Potter in 1873, and moved into the house the next fall. It became not only where Twain raised his family; it was also the place he produced classics like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

The house developed its own fame. Its elaborate design led one Hartford newspaper to call the 19-room Victorian mansion "one of the oddest looking buildings in the State ever designed for a dwelling, if not in the whole country." To Twain, "our house . . . had a heart, and a soul, and eyes to see us with; and approvals and solicitudes and deep sympathies; it was of us, and we were in its confidence and lived in its grace and in the peace of it benediction."

In 1881, flush from the success of Tom Sawyer, Twain had Louis Comfort Tiffany supervise the interior decoration. Unfortunately, losses from investments in a typesetting machine forced the Clemens family to move to Europe in 1891, and they sold the house in 1903.

The Friends of Hartford purchased the property in 1929 to prevent the home's demolition. The house served as the Mark Twain Branch of the Hartford Public Library for many years before a total restoration began in the 1950s. A National Historic Landmark, the Mark Twain House was opened as a museum in the 1960s under the auspices of the Mark Twain Memorial, a private, non-profit that continues to own and operate it. Many of the original furnishings, including Twain's ornate Venetian bed, an intricately carved mantel from a Scottish castle, and a billiard table, remain at the house.

Restoration Plans and Progress
Restoration and preservation at the Mark Twain House will help bring the house and grounds back to the years between 1881 and 1891, when Twain and his family were most satisfied with it. The marble floor in the front hallway is undergoing a historic restoration, and specialists are re-stenciling and painting the walls and ceilings and refinishing the woodwork to recover the splendor of the Tiffany-decorated interiors. Restoration was funded in part by two federal Save America’s Treasures grants totaling $3 million.

Work is also continuing on a new Education and Visitors Center adjacent to Twain’s Carriage House. The new center is a $16.3 million, 35,000-square-foot facility that will house artifacts from the museum’s collection that cannot currently be shown in the House itself. It will also contain a lecture hall and classroom facilities.

Public Access
Guided tours of the Mark Twain House are offered year-round. Contact the Mark Twain House for more information.

Contact Information
The Mark Twain House
351 Farmington Ave.
Hartford, CT 06105
Phone: 860-247-0998 ext. 26
E-mail: info@marktwainhouse.org
Website: www.marktwainhouse.org

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Other Points of Interest
Explore these links on the National Trust’s Web site to learn more about how preservation benefits individuals and communities.

America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places
Since 1988, this list has been one of the most effective tools in the fight to save America's irreplaceable architectural, cultural, and natural heritage. Use the new 11 Most Endangered database to learn about threatened sites in Connecticut.
Website: www.nationaltrust.org/11most

Dozen Distinctive Destinations
These communities offer travelers enjoyable natural, historic, aesthetic, recreational, and cultural experiences all in one place. One of the choices in 2001 was Northampton, Mass., 40 miles north of Hartford and recently labeled the "Best Small Arts Town in America."
Website: www.nationaltrust.org/dozen_distinctive_destinations

Historic Hotel
When visiting the Mark Twain House, expand the historic travel experience by staying at one of the 200 members of National Trust Historic Hotels of America. The nearest Historic Hotel of America is less than an hour away:

The Lighthouse Inn, Resort and Conference Center
Website: www.nationaltrust.org/historic_hotels