We came here the last weekend in September and our tour had 11 people on it. Seriously, 11 people I was shocked, was it "Let's visit the home of a boring president weekend"? It seems as though it was and people were from as far away as Wisconsin.
Hillsborough is not close to anything really. It is out of the way but I am going to encourage you to actually make the trip, you won't be disappointed. While Franklin may be a lackluster president once you visit here, it will all become a lot more clear and many very interesting stores will be told about his father and brother and Franklin himself before he became president.
The homestead was purchased by Franklin's father the same year he was born so though he wasn't born here he did spend all of his formative years in this house. I was disappointed that no photography was allowed in the house because there were lots of interesting things in it.
Adam was our tour guide and his love and enthusiasm for this property were evident throughout the tour. They offer a video while you are waiting for the tour to start but we arrived too late to see more than a minute or two.
While the Pierces weren't wealthy they were comfortable. The farm was originally 200 acres and they had local girls who helped around the house who also stayed with the family. It was a good job and they could be assured of not too hard work and plenty to eat.
The house has an addition that is older than the original house, it is an older house that was brought here and added to the home. We began the tour in the kitchen and learned a lot about life in the house in the time when Franklin was growing up.
Benjamin Pierce was from Chelmsford, Mass and he ran a pub. The front of the house was built to be a pub and it was run as one in the early days. He was quite successful and served two terms as the governor of New Hampshire.
Franklin married Jane Means Appleton when he was not quite 30 and she was 28. Her father according to our guide Adam was the most repressive minister in the history of America. Knowing about Cotton Mather, this made me want to learn a bit more about the Rev. Appleton.
Jane hated Hillsborough and she and Franklin moved to Concord after 4 years. She appears to always have been a rather depressed woman but losing her children at young ages didn't help and the loss of their last child Benjamin at the age of 12 in a tragic train accident on the way to Washington sent her into an extreme depression from which she never recovered. Luckily, her husband adored her and was very patient with her.
Franklin was very anti-war after he was fought in the Mexican War. He was great friends with Nathaniel Hawthorne and Jefferson Davis.
The tour of this homestead is filled with great information and I can't believe I am saying this but I think we will go back and do it again, it was that good and there is also the house in Concord, NH that can be visited.
I highly recommend a getaway weekend and a visit to the Franklin Piecere Homestead, you won't be disappointed.
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