There is something special about having a national historical park almost entirely to yourself. I visited Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park in Cornish, New Hampshire, on a Wednesday. The buildings are closed Tuesday-Wednesday, but the grounds are open daily. My experience was a wonderfully quiet walk through one of the most beautiful combinations of art, history and nature in the National Park Service.
Admittedly I didn’t know much about sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens before my visit. With only a handful of other visitors, I marveled at the work and legacy of one of America’s most influential sculptors.
The Home of a Great American Sculptor
Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park preserves the home, studios and artwork of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who lived from 1848 to 1907. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, he created more than 150 sculptures, monuments, portraits, reliefs, medals and coins that helped shape how Americans viewed their history and national identity.
More than 100 examples of his work are displayed across the property. The park also continues the legacy of the Cornish Colony, the community of artists, writers, architects and musicians drawn to this scenic corner of New Hampshire.
My first stop was Abraham Lincoln: The Man, also known as Standing Lincoln. Saint-Gaudens created the original monument for Chicago’s Lincoln Park. Even as a bronze reproduction, the commanding figure has a remarkable presence.
From Admiral Farragut to the 54th Massachusetts
I continued to the Farragut Monument, Saint-Gaudens’ first major public commission. The original honoring Civil War Admiral David Glasgow Farragut was unveiled in New York City’s Madison Square Park in 1881. Its Italian Renaissance-inspired base was designed as a place to sit and linger.
A powerful work on the grounds is the Shaw Memorial. Saint-Gaudens was commissioned to honor Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, but he refused to ignore the individual soldiers who served beside him. The memorial portrays Shaw riding with members of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, one of the first African American regiments to fight for the Union during the Civil War.
Rather than serving as background figures, the soldiers are depicted with individual faces and expressions. African American men from 24 states joined the regiment. The original memorial was unveiled in Boston in 1897 after Saint-Gaudens spent 14 years creating it.
My Favorite is theAdams Memorial
I also stopped at the Adams Memorial, commissioned in 1891 by historian Henry Adams for the grave of his wife, Marian “Clover” Hooper Adams, in Washington, D.C.’s Rock Creek Cemetery.
Adams stipulated that the mysterious figure should not represent his wife. Saint-Gaudens instead drew inspiration from Buddhist imagery and Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel murals. The bronze cast at the park was installed in 1969.
A Studio Tucked in the Trees
I walked across the meadow to the Ravine Studio, tucked into the trees away from the historic core of the property. Saint-Gaudens’ assistants worked here until his death in 1907.
After decades of disuse, the building was restored in 1970 for what became the first artist-in-residence program in the National Park Service. Each summer, a sculptor is selected to create original work, teach workshops and share the artistic process with visitors. Sculptor-in-residence Heidi Mortensen was working in the studio during my visit, continuing a tradition of creativity that has endured for more than a century.
Aspet and Gardens
My final stop was Aspet, the historic Saint-Gaudens home. The Federal-style house was originally built as an inn around 1800. Saint-Gaudens named the estate Aspet in honor of his father’s birthplace in France.
The family summered here from 1885 to 1897 before making it their year-round home in 1900. Saint-Gaudens lived here until his death in 1907, and his wife, Augusta Homer Saint-Gaudens, continued to spend summers at Aspet until her death in 1926. The stately thornless honey locust in front of the house was planted in 1886.
While I couldn’t go inside Aspet or the galleries, the solitude added something special to my visit. I enjoyed the view from the porch and wandered through the colorful gardens.
Know Before You Go
The grounds at Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park are open year-round during daylight hours for art and solitude. Park buildings are generally open Thursday through Monday from Memorial Day weekend through October 31.
You can easily combine this stop with a visit to Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park. Check out my post on how I visited both in one day. For more National Park Service sites within a couple of hours of Saint-Gaudens, check out post on road trip to visit 6 NPS sites in Hudson Valley.
