August 22, 2003

PLYMOUTH NOTCH, Vt - The President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site has added four elegant top hats to its rare collection of clothing that belonged to the 30th U.S. President. Peter Land of Lebanon, New Hampshire donated the hats during a recent visit to Calvin Coolidge’s boyhood home in Plymouth Notch.

President and Mrs. Coolidge, c. 1925 The Coolidges were well known for their fine fashion sense, as seen in this photo from the collection of the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation. The President is wearing a top hat believed to be one of the four recently donated to the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site.

The hats were probably made for President Coolidge during the White House years, between 1923 and 1929. Labels testify to Coolidge’s sartorial good taste - one example is marked “Satchell & Son, Hatters of London,” another “Saks & Company, New York.” Three are trimmed with beaver. “C. Coolidge” is partially blackened out on one of the labels - verifying the fascinating provenance that Mr. Land provided to the historic site.

Land’s grandfather, Edmund Land, was the caretaker at Grace Coolidge’s residence, known as “The Beeches,” from 1933 - 1936. The former first lady took an interest in her handyman’s teenage son (also named Edmund) who was a budding amateur magician. Always thoughtful and generous, Mrs. Coolidge gave the four hats to the aspiring performer to use as props. Young Edmund never turned professional, but his son Peter fondly remembers family gatherings when his father pulled rabbits and other small animals out of the presidential headgear. The hats are in superb condition despite such use, although the lining in one is a bit frayed (ostensibly from a particularly energetic bunny!)

The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation curates the largest collection of three-dimensional objects associated with the Coolidge family. Although this collection numbers nearly 10,000 objects, the Division owns only a few examples of Calvin’s clothing, including several dress suits, some shoes, and the top hat that he wore to President Warren Harding’s funeral. “The rarity is because Grace Coolidge gave away most of her husband’s clothing when he died in 1933,” according to William Jenney who is the Regional Historic Site Administrator for the State. “She removed all identification that could be used to capitalize on the presidential association. Fortunately, Grace’s black pen only partially obscured the “C. Coolidge” in one of the Land hats,” says Jenney.

The top hats will be included in a special exhibit next season at the Coolidge State Historic Site, which is considered one of the country’s best-preserved presidential birthplaces. Twelve buildings are now open to the public including the Coolidge Homestead, Coolidge Birthplace, general store, village church, cheese factory, and 1924 Summer White House office. New exhibitions in 2003 are Vermont Is A State I Love (inspired by the 75th anniversary of Coolidge’s famous “Vermont” speech) and From Break of Day ‘til Twilight: Farm Life in Plymouth Notch (featuring the site’s premier collection of early agricultural equipment and celebrating the grand opening of the newly reconstructed Wilder Horse Barn).

The President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site is open daily through October 19, 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

William Jenney, Regional Administrator
Vermont Division for Historic Preservation
Plymouth Notch Regional Office
Plymouth, Vermont 05056

tel: 802-672-3773; fax: 802-672-3337