During the hectic years of the Civil War, the family of Abraham Lincoln escaped hot Washington summers for respite in Manchester, Vt.

The president himself had planned to join them in 1865. Those travel plans were never carried out; John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln that April.

Only one of Lincoln's sons, Robert, survived into adulthood, and he retained fond memories of Manchester. After graduation from Harvard Law School and a term as secretary of war, he became chief executive of the Pullman Parlor Car Company. Financially secure, in 1903, he built Hildene, his elegant home in Manchester.

From Hildene, he ran the Pullman Company during the summers, entertained presidents and other notables and worked to improve the grounds. His gentleman's farm prospered. He became a fixture in the local community.

GEORGIAN REVIVAL

Lincoln died in 1926 at age 82, his wife, Mary, a few years later at 91. Descendants lived in Hildene until 1975. The last occupant, Mary "Peggy" Beckwith, bequeathed the estate to the Christian Science Church, but it was unable to afford the upkeep. Newly formed Friends of Hildene purchased the site, opening the home, gardens and 412 acres to the public for tours. The grounds also host concerts, craft fairs and other community events.

Our visit began with a short video in the carriage house, after which we walked the short winding path to the mansion. Out front, bricks outline the size of the log cabin in which Abraham Lincoln was born. It presents quite a contrast in size to his son's stuccoed Georgian Revival manse.

We missed the noon guided tour. However, the stationing of docents and guides strategically throughout the home allowed us to enjoy a self-guided visit at our own pace without losing the opportunity to have our many questions answered.

No one spot is more memorable than the front entrance hall, with its gently rising central staircase constructed of Honduras mahogany and yellow birch. Weddings are frequently hosted here. It's hard to envision a more beautiful scene than a bride descending these stairs to the rich tones of the restored Aeolian organ.

Each room has its niceties -- French applique wall covering in the dining room; poplar stained to simulate mahogany in the parlor; the walnut bed carved with Masonic and Odd Fellows symbols in Lincoln's bedroom. Servants' quarters include Stickley furniture. Household staff had a dumbwaiter to ease their duties. Hildene's last occupant, Peggy Beckwith, used it to transport her ailing beagle between stories.

BIRD FEEDERS AND WHISKERS

I'd choose the library as my favorite chamber. Lincoln ran the Pullman Company from this room. Bookcases line the perimeter; a Bierstadt engraving of the Rocky Mountains hangs by the mantle; furnishings simulate styles used on Pullman rail cars. A Harvard yearbook on the desk is opened to his class portrait.

In the adjacent office, we found an unusual piece utilized by Lincoln's secretary, a turnscrew device that served as a letterpress. By adding sugar to ink, drying was impeded, allowing time to make copies of a draft. Think of it as the photocopier of the time.

Upstairs, a sitting room overlooks the formal French parterre gardens with their immaculately clipped privet borders. Mrs. Lincoln's bedroom had access to the porch roof, making it easy for her to fill the bird feeders.

One bedroom features a newly installed permanent exhibit, "The Personal Abraham Lincoln." Display cases highlight the president's drive for education, but also his role as a father. Included are chairs used in the White House by sons, Willie and Tad, notable for their "youthful exuberance" in that august home. There's a Bible given to Lincoln at his 1861 inauguration and an empty space to which his stovepipe hat will return in 2009.