Presidential House Visit: Calvin Coolidge Birthplace

Calvin Coolidge has been described as our quietest president. Nicknamed "Silent Cal," Coolidge left behind him a wake of humorous anecdotes describing his total unwillingness to string together a few sentences. His reserve has made him into something of a comic historical figure.

Historic Plymouth, Vermont

Seeing the town where Coolidge was born and raised, it's not difficult to figure out where that reserve came from. In a small farming community like Plymouth, Vermont, words are cheap. Work was valued above small talk, and Calvin Coolidge learned from the best. His father, Colonel John Coolidge, was a farmer, post master, constable, general store owner, and notary, as well as a skilled woodworker, and just as silent as his son. After the deaths of young Calvin's mother and little sister, father and son became very close, and the bond lasted throughout both of their lives.

Calvin Coolidge Birthplace

John Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4, 1872 in the small house behind the general store where his father worked. The family later moved across the street into a larger house where Calvin would regularly return for the rest of his life.

Room where Coolidge was born

Hallway leading to the General Store from the house

The Coolidge Homestead

Carriage made by Coolidge's father, Colonel John Coolidge

Quilt and small chest of drawers made by Calvin Coolidge
as a boy

Most notably, it was in the Coolidge homestead that John Coolidge administered the Oath of Office to his son after the sudden death of President Harding. The Coolidges stayed in Plymouth during the summer of 1924 after their son Calvin Jr. died at the tender age of sixteen when a blister on his foot became infected. Coolidge and his wife Grace were devastated, so they went to Plymouth for a much needed vacation. Then President Coolidge did the same farm tasks he did as a boy, pitching hay and helping his father with the farm.

I could see why the President would want to return home after such a terrible tragedy. Plymouth can best be summed up by the word wholesome. The air is fresh, the trees are green, and the mountains seem to reach up out of the earth to fold you in their embrace. There is a neat orderliness to the town that I imagine was of great comfort to Coolidge and his grieving family. 

Room where Colonel Coolidge administered the Oath of
Office to his son

Church where the Coolidges worshipped

Like its most famous son, Plymouth is quiet, but the silent landscape has an eloquence that can heal. I confess I found it difficult to leave; I felt a little healthier, a little happier, and little more clear headed just for breathing in the mountain air. I imagine Coolidge felt the same, although he may not have said it aloud.

The view from Plymouth