Mark Twain House Vandalized!

Thank you for your interest in helping with the vandalism repairs. We are not longer taking donations through this site but you can still donate to the repair fund securely on our website at https://ci.ovationtix.com/35359/store/donations/49380.

The historic Mark Twain House in Hartford, CT, Samuel Clemens' beloved home where he and his family lived while writing his most famous books, was the target of vandalism over the holidays. Three times over 10 days (December 23, December 31, and January 3) a group of what appears to be three individuals hit the Conservatory windows with rocks and chunks of asphalt. On their third defacement they escalated to bricks and not only damaged the Conservatory windows again, but also the windows to the Mahogany Room. Sadly, the second incident did more than break glass, when one of the rocks removed several fingers of the Venus de Medici statue at the west side of the Conservatory arch.

We at The Mark Twain House & Museum are reviewing ways to improve the resilience of the structure and increase site security. In addition to repairing the windows, we are adding more security cameras and lighting, and hired overnight security personnel. Local police were notified after the first incident and are conducting an investigation.

As a fan of Mark Twain and his home, I'm sure you are as upset at this news as we, the staff and trustees, are. We estimate current repairs and additional security measures will cost upwards of $25,000-$30,000, and there's no indication the vandals won't return. This GoFundMe page has been created to collect donations for the repairs and security.

About The Mark Twain House & Museum:

From this house, Mark Twain changed the way the world sees America and the way Americans see themselves. We continue the conversation he began.

Mark Twain is an enduring symbol of America. He rose from poverty and suffered hardship and great loss, but he never lost his desire to understand and help his fellow human beings, call out wrongs, speak truth to power, give voice to those who had none, and present America to the rest of the world, warts and all.