FLAT ROCK, N.C. — Our new series, “Tar Heel Treasures,” highlights some of the state’s unique attractions and sights that are a must-see.
In western North Carolina, the Carl Sandburg Home brings in tourists from all across the country with its rich history and beautiful views.
Michael Dages is an outdoor enthusiast who has volunteered and worked for the national historic site for the past four years. It’s his favorite place to be.
His love for parks and being outdoors ran in the family. His mother worked for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio.
“She made sure that I got outside, and went to summer camps there,” Dages said. “I think that's probably where it all started.”
He studied environmental interpretation with hopes of also working at a national park.
“I’ve always kind of dreamed of being a park ranger, working for a national park, but then I started working here,” Dages said.
The Carl Sandburg Home is where the famous writer known as the “Poet of the People” and his family lived for 22 years from 1945-1967. Carl Sandburg passed away in 1967.
“I didn't expect to love history, it wasn't my favorite topic in school, but then I realized that that's because I was learning about it in the classroom,” Dages said. “Once you're here, in the history, it's so much more interesting.”
Dages and his dog, Roxanne, patrol the property. She’s a "BARK Ranger". It’s a program the park offers to encourage responsible pet owner habits, like cleaning up after your pet.
Roxanne hasn’t let the cancer that claimed her leg slow her down. She patrols the trails on the property with pride.
Dages hasn’t been away from the park since moving to Hendersonville four years ago. He said the park has something for everybody; for history lovers, writers, recreators, hikers and animal lovers.
The park is located on 264 acres. Visitors can tour the Sandburg home preserved exactly how it looked in the 1960s, hike over 5 miles of trails, visit the barnyard and farm and its famous dairy goats, even buy books Sandburg wrote, some over a 100 years old.
The poet, novelist and biographer was a literary icon, winning three Pulitzer prizes.
Sandburg was in his 60s when he moved to North Carolina, looking for someplace warmer than the Midwest. It was his wife who chose the area.
“She found this property, and the barn and all these pastures, all this space out here and she fell in love,” Dages said. ”And Carl said, ‘I don't care where we move as long as it's quiet enough that I can get some writing done.'”
Dages’ favorite part is visiting the goats.
“It was a big part of their day-to-day life, you can't really tell the story of Carl Sandburg without talking about his wife and the goats that she raised here. The goats in the barn are direct descendants of the Sandburg’s goats.”
At its peak, more than 200 goats called the farm home. Dages said Mrs. Sandburg’s goal was to make goat milk as popular as cow milk.
“The Carl Sandburg Home is a treasure,” Dages said. “This is one of the greatest places to work.”
The house and goat farm are currently closed due to the pandemic, but the trails and grounds are open. To learn more about the park, click here.