40 US Historical Homes That Are Worth the Visit

36.Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home

You may also know this property as Rocky Ridge Farm. It is in Mansfield, Missouri — where the famed author Laura Ingalls Wilder started her writing career. The wood-frame structure is a typically 1-1/2 stories, irregularly-framed farmhouse with an attic space that gives the appearance of two stories in places. The original kitchen and receiving rooms are one story. It has six rooms on its main level with several porches, dormers, and gabled windows that allowed for light and air circulation for the upper level. The structure sits on the 40 acres of farmland acquired by the writer and her husband, Almonzo Wilder. They used a $100 down payment.

Laura Ingalls Wilder lived at Rocky Ridge Farm from 1896 until her death February 10, 1957. At 65, she started writing the famous series Little House on the Prairie. The series would live on as a much-beloved television series of the same name that ran from 1974 to 1983. Following her passing, knowing it was one of the few remaining homes of the writer, residents created a non-profit organization, The Laura Ingalls Wilder Home Association, to preserve Wilder’s literary legacy. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991the home is open for tours. There is an annual Laura Ingalls Wilder day each fall to celebrate her academic achievements.