NRHP Reference # 70000353 Area 4 ha Phone +1 417-924-3626 Added to NRHP 19 May 1970 | Built 1895 Designated NHL July 17, 1991 Opened 1895 Architectural style American Craftsman | |
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Address 3060 State Hwy A, Mansfield, MO 65704, USA Similar Laura Ingalls Wilder M, Laura Ingalls Wilder Hi, Herbert Hoover President, Ingalls Homestead, Little House on the Prairi | ||
Laura ingalls wilder house mansfield missouri aka rocky ridge farm
The Laura Ingalls Wilder House in Mansfield, Missouri, also known as Rocky Ridge Farm, was the home of author Laura Ingalls Wilder from 1896 until her death in 1957. She, the author of the Little House on the Prairie series, began writing there at the age of 65. The house, together with the nearby Rock Cottage on the same property, represents one of the few surviving places where she resided.
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History
Laura and Almanzo Wilder bought 40 acres (16 ha) of farmland for $100 in 1894 that they named "Rocky Ridge." Two rooms of the house were initially built between 1895 and 1897. Further additions through 1912 brought the house to its present form with ten rooms. Most of the work was done by Almanzo, with help from local carpenters and from Laura, using local materials.
The house is now a museum devoted to Laura and her writings. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 19, 1970, and was designated a National Historic Landmark on July 17, 1991. The Rock Cottage, located nearby on the same property, was built by their daughter Rose Wilder Lane as a gift to her parents, who lived there from 1928 to 1936. Laura began to write at the age of 65 in there. It is part of the Wilder Museum, but is not included in the National Historic Landmark designation.
Description
The Wilder house is an irregularly-shaped wood frame structure, typically 1-1/2 stories in height with a raised attic section that approaches two stories in places. The original kitchen and one other room are one story. It has several porches. Dormers and gable windows provide light and air to the upper level. There are six rooms on the main level, and three on the upper level.