Home of the Morse Code

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You’ve just read the word “hello” in Morse code. In an age of satellite phones, texting and instant messaging, Morse code seems quaint, but 174 years ago, its invention was a big deal and it made painter and inventor, Samuel F.B. Morse rich and famous. I recently took my family to Morse’s Locust Grove Estate in Poughkeepsie for a day of fun and exploration. Today the estate is a national landmark and a nature preserve. The picturesque grounds are made up of beautiful wooded glens and gently rolling hills, crisscrossed with numerous walking paths. My wife and I particularly enjoyed the numerous natural herb and flower gardens, which are scattered throughout the property.

The Mansion

The highlight of our visit was a tour of Morse’s mansion. Architect Alexander Jackson Davis designed it in 1851, based on sketches provided by Morse. The style of the mansion is Italianate and resembles Italian villas that Morse saw in Italy, while studying his craft. It’s small compared to other historical mansions we’ve visited, but it boasts 40 rooms, wide corridors and an exterior design where every side of the building functions as an entrance. The house reflects renovations made to it during the 1900s and has many interesting modern conveniences such as electric lighting, central heating and a functional intercom system. In spite of these additions, the interior is very much a 19th century mansion with drawing rooms, a billiard room, a ballroom and servant quarters. Younger children might find the tour of the mansion a little tedious, so the curators have incorporated a “house hunt” activity into the tour, where kids are given clues and are asked to indentify various features and items around the mansion.

Hands-on Science

If your children are curious and hands-on, I strongly recommend that you enroll them in one of the several science activities that Locust Grove offers. My kids took the classes on telegraphy and simple machines and they thoroughly enjoyed both. For the telegraphy class, they were introduced to electrical circuitry and were able to construct a simple telegraph and send signals using lights and electromagnets. They also were given a chance to decode messages written in Morse code. The simple machines class was equally fun. They explored the fundamental principles of simple machines such as pulleys, wheels and inclined planes and saw these principles in action on models of these machines.

The Pavilion

The Locust Grove Museum Pavilion is a state-of-the-art exhibition space where we enjoyed browsing over artifacts from Samuel Morse’s dual careers: painter and inventor. The Telegraph Gallery traces the development of the telegraph and displays reproductions of some of Morse’s earliest experimental models. This exhibition and the telegraphy class really helped our family understand the true genius of Morse’s invention. His code and his refinements to telegraph technology revolutionized long-range communications. It made the expansion into the western frontier easier and soon became a worldwide standard. The Morse Code outlived the original technology it was designed for and even today remains an active and viable form of international communication.

Morse was also quite an accomplished painter. He studied at the Royal Academy of Art in London and returning to the U.S., he painted portraits of many of his famous contemporaries such as the Marquis De Lafayette and John Adams. While known primarily for his portraits, Morse also painted some very impressive pictorials and landscapes.

One visit to Locust Grove does not do it justice. Under the direction of Kenneth Snodgrass, the museum has a constant parade of fun and informative events that any family can enjoy this summer. On July 8 there’s an antique car show and on July 12 there is a sunset wine and food sampling. There is also a 5K-trail race July 26. The activities ramp up as the fall and holiday seasons approaches, so visit the website often for updates.

Bob Berry is a frequent contributor to Westchester Family.