Welcome to Walt Whitman Birthplace

"A morning glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books." -Walt Whitman

About Whitman:

In 1819, Walt Whitman was born at a farmhouse in West Hills built by his father circa 1810. The Birthplace was restored in 2001 and it is a fine example of native Long Island craftsmanship. The Birthplace is the only NYS Historic Site on Long Island listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1998, the White House Millennium Council named it an "American Treasure." In 2007, the Walt Whitman Trail, which begins at the Birthplace, was designated a National Recreational Trail by the US Dept. of the Interior.

Whitman's collection of poems, Leaves of Grass, stands among the masterpieces of world literature. Scholars have name Whitman the "Poet of Democracy" and "America's Shakespeare."

Walt Whitman Birthplace Association (WWBA) was organized in 1949 to purchase the deteriorating Whitman Birthplace from private sellers to safeguard it for future generations. In 1957, WWBA sold the Birthplace to NY State, and WWBA agreed to continue operating the Birthplace. WWBA fulfills the responsibilities of NY State for preserving the historic site, for sustaining the legacy of Walt Whitman, for presenting literary and artistic programs, for conducting educational programs, and for providing visitor tours.

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