The Carson family moved to this four-room farmhouse in 1901 with plans to live in the home temporarily, and to sell lots from the 65-acre land to finance building a modern home. Rachel was born here in 1907. The house underwent few improvements during the Carson residence, as financial difficulties prevented the family from accomplishing their plan. Carson and her family remained in this home until she completed her studies at the Pennsylvania College for Women (now
Chatham University) in 1929. She continued her studies in Baltimore at
Johns Hopkins University. Her family soon followed her to Baltimore. The house was sold to a local high school English teacher who updated utilities and added rooms, extending the footprint of the original home. The original four rooms used by the Carsons remain substantially unchanged. The grounds are reduced to a little more than a half-acre, but a small hiking trail accesses adjoining municipal property. A springhouse, still standing, was the source of water for the Carsons. In 1975, the homestead was acquired by the Rachel Carson Homestead Association, Inc. (RCHA) for restoration and preservation. The trail is known for its annual Rachel Carson Trail Challenge, a 36 mi (57.9 km) one-day endurance hike which passes by the homestead. Rachel Carson wrote her influential 1962 book
Silent Spring at
Rachel Carson House in Colesville, Maryland. == Rachel Carson Homestead Association ==