Welcome to the Mark Twain house

You have already seen one photograph from the Mark Twain house but Now I am showing you some others from my experience.  The Mark Twain foundation does not allow photography inside of the house.  I wish they would but what can I do, right?  Much of the furniture inside of the house is original from when Samuel Clemens actually lived in the house.  Oddly enough, not all of it was roped off.  Visitors are warned not to touch anything inside the house and not to sit on any furniture.  As tempting as it was, I obeyed.  The inside of the house is beautiful.  The design was done by Louis C. Tiffany of Tiffany & Co. Cool, right? Because I could not photograph the interior, here is a link to the museum’s website where you can see some of their photos.

“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.” – Mark Twain

Here are some facts about Samuel Clemens

• Haley’s Comet was visible in the sky on the night that Samuel Clemens was both born and passed away.   He also predicted his death.
• During the Civil War, Samuel Clemens formed a Confederate militia known as the “Marion Rangers.” The militia disbanded after about two weeks
• Samuel Clemens left Missouri after his militia disbanded and moved to Nevada. There he worked as a miner.
• Prior to adopting Mark Twain as his pen name, Clemens wrote under the pen name Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass for a number of humorous pieces that he contributed to the Keokuk Post.  The Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass book sells for $70.

Now for some of my photos.

This was my first view of the Mark Twain house from the parking lot.  Quite stunning, isn’t it?

The view from Farmington Avenue.  The house sits up on a hill.

The front door where the butler, George, greets visitors and welcomes them inside.  Samuel Clemens wrote the Huckleberry Finn character Jim after George.  George was a slave before the war ended.

This is where Samuel Clemens would relax on his rocking chair.  There is a beautiful view of the Harriet Beecher Stowe house and other surroundings.

The house was built in 1874 by Edward Tuckerman Potter.  Samuel Clemens and his wife wanted “a red house”.  You have to love the detail.

Thanks for reading and happy shooting,

Scott