View source for Redding

In 1906, Samuel Clemens bought land in the vicinity of the town Redding in Connecticut. The purchase was made without Clemens having seen the property beforehand as he was eager to strike an apparent bargain (see [https://www.zotero.org/groups/4437667/mtxdigital/items/FIZ6WARP Rasmussen et al. 2:852]). Albert Bigelow Paine, a close friend of Clemens’, had previously bought land in the same area and this quickly convinced Clemens to invest as well (see [https://www.zotero.org/groups/4437667/mtxdigital/items/DMJ27M5U Paine ''Biography'' 3:1294]).

Clemens arranged for John Mead Howells to design a house to be built on the property (see [https://www.zotero.org/groups/4437667/mtxdigital/items/DMJ27M5U Paine ''Biography'' 3:1446]). This would eventually become Clemens’ permanent home, which he called “Stormfield” (see [https://www.zotero.org/groups/4437667/mtxdigital/items/FIZ6WARP Rasmussen et al. 2:852]), named after his character Captain Stormfield.<br />
The Redding community welcomed the famous author: when he arrived in 1908 to settle in his new home, a crowd of people greeted him at the train station and accompanied him on his way to Stormfield. Once he was fully settled in his new home, Clemens got involved in local affairs and sought out the Redding community (see [https://www.zotero.org/groups/4437667/mtxdigital/items/FIZ6WARP Rasmussen et al. 2:852]). One community project he was especially supportive of was the “Mark Twain Library of Redding” to which he contributed books and for which he raised funds (see [https://www.zotero.org/groups/4437667/mtxdigital/items/FIZ6WARP Rasmussen et al. 2:852]).

Clemens lived in Redding until his death in 1910.


{{SubTopicList}}
{{TopicLinkList}}
[[Category:Topic Pages]] [[Category:Topic Place]]