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Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site
MySpace URL:
http://www.myspace.com/gspshs
Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site's Interests
Movies
Mrs. Porter had at seven plus novels that became major motion pictures.
Books
Gene Stratton-Porter wrote the following novels: The Song of the Cardinal, Freckles, At the Foot of the Rainbow, A Girl of the Limberlost, The Harvester, Laddi, Michael O'Halloran, A Daughter of the Land, Her Father's Daughter, The White Flag, The Keeper of the Bees, The Magic Garden, Morning Face, etc.
Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site's Details
About me: Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site is located at 1205 Pleasant Point in Rome City, IN (46784). The Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site is located five miles west of Kendallville on U.S. Highway 6 and 3 miles north on Indiana 9. Follow the signs.
This State Historic Site is the second home of the Hoosier author. Visitors will learn about the works and inspirations of Gene Stratton-Porter.
The Gene Stratton-Porter SHS, also called "The Cabin in Wildflower Woods", lies nestled on the shore of Sylvan Lake, near Rome City, Indiana. It is the former home of Gene Stratton-Porter, one of Indiana’s most widely read authors and one of the world’s first and best nature photographers.
Her writing career began when her first piece was accepted by Recreation magazine for which she received $16. She wrote regularly for this publication for two years and then joined the staff of Outing, a national natural history magazine. A year later, she decided she might be able to reach a larger audience if she “sugar-coated” her nature studies with a veneer of fiction. This marked the beginning of Porter’s formula for her novels. Ungenerous critics accused her of larding her nature studies with romantic drivel to increase the sale of her books.
Porters first two novels were "Song of the Cardinal" in 1903 and "Freckles" in 1904. These books, along with three others, were written in her home in Geneva, Indiana. The house was named “Limberlost” after the nearby Limberlost Swamp. It is also a State Historic Site.
What is now the Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site was the Porter’s second home, built in 1913. The vast, undeveloped forest of this site provided a rich source of material for her nature studies, writings and photography. Porter developed the wildflower gardens using plants from all around the state. The gardens, arbor, orchard and many scenic paths are still intact. The site currently encompasses 125 acres of land, 20 of which were part of Porter’s original property.
"The Cabin in Wildflower Woods" designed by Porter, is a two-story cabin with exterior walls of Wisconsin cedar logs. Local wild cherry was used to panel the entrance hall and dining room. There are three extraordinary fireplaces on the first floor: one of polished English brick, one constructed of Indiana artifacts and stones collected from other states and one of puddin’ stone.
Furnishings in the home are arranged and maintained to reflect—as authentically as possible—the Porter’s lifestyle. Much of the furniture and personal memorabilia, including Porter’s library, are preserved at the home.
In her lifetime, 1863-1924, Porter authored 12 novels, seven nature books, two books of poetry, children’s books and numerous magazine articles. With an estimated 50 million readers, her works have been translated into several foreign languages as well as Braille. Eight of her novels were produced as motion pictures.
The gravesites of Gene Stratton-Porter and her daughter Jeannette are located at this site. For more information call Sheila McCrea, Program Director, at 260.854.3790.
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Who I'd like to meet: At the Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site we welcome visitors daily from dusk until dawn. Located on beautiful Sylvan Lake, you can hike through the woods, stroll through the gardens and rest on a bench under a shade tree…or bring a picnic and enjoy it at the facilities. There is access to the lake; however, no boat ramp is provided. You can put your boat in the water just down the road in Rome City.
Hike the 2 mile–long Pat Bolman Heritage Tree Trail. This trail is not only ideal for hikers, but walkers and avid runners (especially cross-country runners). In addition to the well-groomed trail, there are benches for those who may need to rest or just want to enjoy the surroundings.
For more detailed information on special events call 260.854.3790 or e-mail Sheila McCrea, Program Director/Special Events Coordinator, at smccrea@dnr.in.gov.
Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site's Friend Space (Top 39)
Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site has 89 friends.
Oooh! In lieu of buying stupid wedding favors for my upcoming wedding, my fiance and I made a donation to the Indiana Heritage Trust to support wetland restoration at the Limberlost-Loblolly Marsh, which is where the Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site is located.
