CUMMINGTON, Mass. – The William Cullen Bryant Homestead, a special place stewarded by The Trustees of Reservations, will reopen this summer for the first time since 2019 to offer tours of the country estate of the prominent 19th century poet, journalist, and conservationist. The homestead is located at 207 Bryant Rd. in Cummington.
The tour, Literary Legacy: A Guided Tour of the William Cullen Bryant Homestead, will be offered at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. on June 28, July 19, Aug. 16, and Sept. 28. Visitors can explore inside Bryant’s thoughtfully preserved country estate where he spent his formative years and later returned for inspiration and retreat. Visitors are also welcome to self-tour the first floor of the house for free between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the days the tour is offered. The guided tour will include the second and third floors of the house.
Additionally, on Sept. 28, Adventure East will offer an old-growth forest walk on the property led by naturalist William Randolf. Tickets are $45, with Trustees members receiving a 10 percent discount.
The Literary Legacy tour requires advanced registration and tickets. Tickets are $5 for Trustees members and $10 for non-members. To become a Trustees member, go to www.thetrustees.org/jointoday.
Period rooms filled with original furnishings and Bryant family artifacts will be open for visitors to explore. The 195-acre property has sweeping views of Westfield River Valley. Bryant, editor and publisher of the New York Evening Post, returned every summer to the homestead starting in 1865 until his death in 1878.
The two-story-farmhouse-turned-three-story Victorian cottage is full of colonial and Victorian pieces from the poet’s family, as well as exotic memorabilia from his extensive European and Asian travels. The homestead’s pastoral landscape encompasses pastures, fields, and woodlands.
While at the homestead, visitors can also walk the trails on the property, including the Rivulet Trail, which hugs the Rivulet, a trickling stream immortalized by Bryant’s 1823 poem of the same name. The property also features the Pine Loop, with pine trees that reach the heights of 150 feet, among the tallest in the Northeast.
About The Trustees
Founded by landscape architect Charles Eliot in 1891, The Trustees has, for over 130 years, been a catalyst for important ideas, endeavors, and progress in Massachusetts. As a steward of distinctive and dynamic places of both historic and cultural value, The Trustees is the nation’s first preservation and conservation organization, and its landscapes and landmarks continue to inspire discussion, innovation, and action today as they did in the past. We are a nonprofit, supported by members, friends and donors and our 124 sites are destinations for residents, members, and visitors alike, welcoming millions of guests annually. www.thetrustees.org.