Robert Frost Farm Historic Site: Poetic Inspiration

The Robert Frost Farm Historic Site is in southeastern New Hampshire, about 45-minutes from Boston. The park preserves the home where Frost and his family lived from 1900 through 1911.

During his time here, Frost farmed the land, taught at nearby Pinkerton Academy, and developed his poetic voice, which ultimately led to his winning four Pulitzer Prizes and world fame as one of the United States’ foremost poets. He would call the first five years living on the Derry Farm “the core of all my writing.” He believed his farm to be the seedbed of his poetry and his thoughts here over and over again in “the ache of memory” to harvest poems throughout his life.

Poems from the Derry Farm

Many of his poems are based on memories from the Derry years. Most of the poems from his first two books, A Boy’s Will and North of Boston, were written here. Several works in his 1916 collection Mountain Interval were also written at the Derry farm.

Frost’s famous poem “Mending Wall” describes the times he spent with his neighbor repairing the stone wall that divided their farms. That poem was actually written while he lived in England, but he would say this: “I wrote the poem thinking of the old wall that I hadn’t mended in several years and which must be in a terrible condition. I wrote that poem in England when I was very homesick for my old wall in New England.”

Visiting the Robert Frost Farm Historic Site

My wife and I visited the park in the early fall during a road trip throughout New England. The home is open for tours from May through October and has been restored to look as it did when the Frost family lived there.

Unfortunately, we arrived too early that morning, so we contented ourselves with exploring the property. We were the only people there, and it was a wonderful experience walking around on such a beautiful cool morning. The deep blue sky did not have a single cloud.

Frost’s poem “Birches” was written on the property. Walking the property, I could see where he got his inspiration. Birch trees still dot the landscape. Another inspiration was viewed at the orchard. When Frost lived here, there were around 100 apple trees on the property. Today, only a couple survive, but the poem “After Apple-Picking” was inspired by the orchard.

Interpretive signs are posted throughout the park. Each explains a bit about his time on the farm but also features a poem.