Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park facts for kids
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Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park
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Statues on exhibit
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | Cornish, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 370 acres (150 ha) 175 acres (71 ha) federal |
| Built | 1817 (main house) |
| Visitation | 26,943 (2005) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000120 (original) 13000802 (increase) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Boundary increase | October 2, 2013 |
| Designated NHS | August 31, 1964 |
| Designated NHL | June 13, 1962 |
The Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park is in Cornish, New Hampshire. This special place protects the home, gardens, and art studios of Augustus Saint-Gaudens. He was one of America's most famous sculptors. This was his summer home from 1885 to 1897. Later, it became his full-time home from 1900 until he passed away in 1907. It was also the heart of the Cornish Art Colony, a group of artists who lived and worked nearby.
At the park, you can explore two hiking trails. You can also see original sculptures by Saint-Gaudens. There are also copies of his most famous artworks. The park is easy to find on Saint-Gaudens Road, just a short drive from New Hampshire Route 12A.
A Sculptor's Home
Augustus Saint-Gaudens bought this property in 1885. His friend, Charles Cotesworth Beaman Jr., suggested it. Beaman was a lawyer from New York City. He had already bought a nearby farm for his own summer home. Saint-Gaudens named his new home "Aspet." This name came from the town where his father was born in France.
Saint-Gaudens built an art studio here. He created many artworks every summer. From 1900 until his death in 1907, he lived here all year. Beaman's summer home was a busy place for the Cornish Art Colony. Many artists gathered there.
After Saint-Gaudens' wife, Augusta, died in 1926, Aspet was given to a group called the Saint-Gaudens Memorial. Augusta had started this group in 1919. The Memorial ran the property as a museum starting in 1927. In 1965, it was given to the National Park Service (NPS). The Memorial still helps the park today. They support its care and offer public programs.
Becoming a National Park
The estate was named a National Historic Landmark in 1962. This means it is a very important historical site in the United States. It was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. Congress approved the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in 1964. It was fully set up in 1977.
This park is special because it's one of only two National Park Service sites in New Hampshire. The other is part of the Appalachian Trail. The NPS later bought two more properties next to the park. These places were also connected to Saint-Gaudens and the Cornish Art Colony. They became part of the park in 2000. In 2019, the site was renamed the Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park.
What You Can See
The main parts of Aspet are the main house and the Little Studio. The main house was built in 1816-17. Saint-Gaudens made many changes to it. An architect named George Fletcher Babb helped with the designs. The Little Studio was also designed by Babb. It was built in 1903-04. It replaced older studios.
The park grounds have beautiful gardens. They are filled with hedges and terraces. You can see copies of Saint-Gaudens' sculptures displayed there. Saint-Gaudens himself helped design these gardens. He worked with a landscape architect named Ellen Shipman.
There is also an outdoor room called the Pan Grove. Saint-Gaudens and Babb designed this together. It has a large green marble pool. The pool is set in a grove of birch trees. A statue of the Greek god Pan stands nearby.
Artists at the Park
The park also hosts artists who come to work there. American sculptor Lawrence Nowlan was an artist-in-residence at Saint-Gaudens. He spent five summers there between 1995 and 2002. While working at the park, he received his first big project. He was asked to design the Wildland Firefighters National Monument.
