Her
home was built by her grandfather in 1813. This Federal style house is believed
to be the first brick house in Amherst.
Brothers House
The Emily Dickinson Museum was created in 2003 when the two houses were merged under the ownership of Amherst College.
Garage Wind Vane
Originally the property was 15 acres but is now only 2 acres.
The most intense hurricane to make landfall in the US and the Atlantic Basin in recorded history, hit this area in 1935; this tree in her back yard, is believed to be the only large tree to survive that storm.
She is buried in the family plot in the small local cemetery (West Cemetery).
The original tombstone simply had her initials, “EED” inscribed on it. The headstone was later replaced by her niece who included Emily’s birth and death dates as well as the phrase “Called Back.”
They were the only words in her last known letter written to a cousin. It may have been a reference to a popular novella (Called Back) which Emily said was, “a haunting story…greatly impressive to me.”
“No major poet is more dense, more compressed, more elliptical, more elusive… so far ahead of her time, it seems like we are only now learning how to read her.” – Dean Rader
“She is now almost universally considered to be one of the most important American poets.” –Harold Bloom
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| Teenage Emily Daguerreotype |
Tinky Winky went along for the tour, but was not able to sneak into any exhibits as no photos were allowed inside the house.
