Western Massachusetts
Amherst
“Fort Juniper,” Home of Robert Francis, poet
Born in 1901 in Upland, Pennsylvania, poet Robert Francis moved to Massachusetts when he was nine years old and to Amherst a few years after graduating from Harvard. In 1940 he moved to Market Hill Road, naming his home “Fort Juniper.” Francis describes the construction of the small house in extensive detail in his 1971 autobiography, The Trouble with Francis. In 1975, the University of Massachusetts Press named their poetry prize the “Juniper Prize” in honor of Francis. Fort Juniper is now a writer's retreat.
“Fort Juniper,” Home of Robert Francis
170 Market Hill Rd., Amherst, MA