Mark Twain
The famous American author, Samuel Clemens (best known as Mark Twain) and I have something in common! We both lived in Elmira, New York and Connecticut. He is known for book titles such as ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ and ‘Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’. I grew up in Elmira, NY for 15 years before going off to college and then moved to CT.
Elmira, NY
Elmira, NY is the home to Mark Twain’s summer property, Quarry Farm. It perched on the hilltop overlooking Elmira and Chemung River. The house remains there to this day and currently owned by Elmira College. The Center for Mark Twain Studies (CMTS) was also established when Quarry Farm was gifted to Elmira College. Through an application process, the CMTS offers Quarry Farm Fellows for scholars which allows them to reside at Quarry Farm for up to 4 weeks. While it is a private residence, the house is visible from the road.
Mark Twain’s octagonal study also was donated to the college. It used to be 100 yards from the Quarry Farm where Mark Twain wrote many of his works. The study is on Elmira College’s main campus in downtown Elmira. I grew up passing it often as it is visible from the main street (Park Place). I’ve had several school field trips to the study too. The study is a small octagonal shaped building, it has some Mark Twain’s books on display and historical photos of his life. The study is opened for tour from Memorial Day to Labor Day on Mondays-Fridays 10am-4pm.
Also on the EC campus there is an exhibit inside Cowles Hall, the building that is right next to the study. The exhibit focuses on his time in Elmira, his family and Elmira College connections. The hours are same as the study touring hours. There is a statue of Mark Twain and his wife, Olivia Langdon on the campus.
Mark Twain’s family is also buried in Elmira at Woodlawn Cemetery. The family plot can be visited either on your own or the trolley tour. The trolley tour is offered by The Chemung County Historical Society in July and August. The trolley will take you by Quarry Farm, the study and the cemetery as well many other historical sites that is not related to Mark Twain.
Hartford, CT
Although he spent more time in Elmira, his main residence was in Hartford, Connecticut. The Hartford home currently operates as The Mark Twain House & Museum. It is opened for tours daily 10am-4:30pm, with tickets purchased in advanced. The Victorian Gothic Revival house has 3 floors with 25 rooms. Twain also had Tiffany & Co. to decorate the ceilings and walls in the house, which was beautifully done. The family lived here for 17 years before their financial instability forced them to move to Europe.
After the family moved, the house was owned by several families. Facing demolition in 1929, a non profit organization focusing on preserving Mark Twain’s memorial purchased the home. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1962.
I visited the grounds for the first time during summer. I was stunned by the detailing of the beautiful home. Inside was even more stunning. I also learned about the paranormal encounters that some guests have had while touring the home. If you didn’t know, one of Mark Twain’s daughter died in the home from an illness. Ghost Hunters even did an episode at the house one year. The museum hosts Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours during Octobers! I’ll have to return to join this tour in the fall.
