The Coolidge Homestead in Plymouth, Vermont, probably in August 1924. Photo courtesy of Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.
The house in 2014:
From the exterior, this Vermont farmhouse doesn’t look like it was once the place where a president took the oath of office, but it was here at 2:47 on the morning of August 3, 1923 that Calvin Coolidge was administered the oath by his father. Throughout his political career, Coolidge frequently returned to his hometown of Plymouth, Vermont, and it was during one such visit while he was Vice President that President Warren Harding died.
This particular photo was probably taken in August 1924, during one of Coolidge’s vacations while he was president. This vacation was well-documented by Leslie Jones of the Boston Herald-Traveler, and the trip was also featured in this short 1924 documentary. It appears as though Coolidge (left) and the First Lady, Grace Coolidge (right) are walking down the street, although I don’t know who the woman in the middle was.
Today, not much has changed in Plymouth or at the Coolidge Homestead; the building is now a museum, and it has been restored to its 1923 appearance. The house, along with the surrounding village, are a National Historic Landmark, and the area has been maintained by the state of Vermont.