Courtesy of United States Library of Congress
Calvin Coolidge
Saturday, May 28 — PLYMOUTH NOTCH — The President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site opens for the 2016 season on Saturday, May 28.
A new temporary exhibit opens that day, “Expressions of Esteem: The Coolidge Presidential Gifts.” Calvin Coolidge, unlike his successors who have presidential libraries, was allowed to keep many of the gifts he received from admirers around the world. The Coolidge family has donated most of these gifts to the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.
“Expressions of Esteem” features glittering treasures from foreign dignitaries, as well as modest tokens from private citizens. Many objects have never been on display. On loan from the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library & Museum in Northampton, Mass., are several superb examples of Native American beadwork — gifts to Calvin Coolidge during the 1927 Summer White House in South Dakota. The exhibit was designed by Charles Gibson Design of Hanover, N.H., and funded through the generous support of the Alma Gibbs Donchian Foundation.
Also on May 28, visitors can experience the excitement of the Killington Stage Race as hundreds of cyclists speed through the historic village.
A National Historic Landmark, Plymouth Notch is considered one of the best-preserved presidential sites in the country. Twelve buildings are on the tour. The site has two museum stores, walking trails, a restaurant (serving breakfast & lunch), sheltered picnic area, and cheese factory (still producing the traditional granular curd Plymouth Cheese.)
A highlight of any Coolidge Site visit is the permanent exhibition, “More Than Two Words: The Life and Legacy of Calvin Coolidge.” In this highly interactive presentation, Calvin Coolidge is brought to life through objects, photographs, newsreels, political cartoons, and the masterful work of Jim Cooke, the re-enactor acclaimed for his insightful portrayal of the 30th U.S. president. The exhibit received an Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History.
The President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site is open May 28 – Oct. 16, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily. For more information, call 802-672-3773 or visit historicsites.vermont.gov.
