A Visit to Saint Gaudens National Historic Site-Bazillions of Images and Three-Part First Post

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I live close enough to the Saint Gaudens National Historic Site (SGNHS) such that my wife and I have visited more than a dozen times over the years and we have brought our daughters there several times, too. This past weekend we did a few family things including a visit to Santa’s Village, which followed a tour of the McAuliffe-Shepard observatory (where I nearly lost my life) and a planetarium show. We then spent Sunday at the SGNHS.

The site is in Cornish, NH, right along the Maxfield Parish Highway and has only a small sign at the beginning of the 0.6 mile long driveway. The driveway is fairly steep throughout and I imagine that 100+ years ago when the grounds were first built out that it was truly a bear to transport anything up the mountain. It was just before 10:00 AM and a brisk 57-degrees when we parked in the tiny 24-spot parking lot (ours was the second car in the lot) and were told by the Park Ranger that there would be no admission fee since it was the 97th birthday of the National Park system. We paid our $10 anyway; it seemed like the proper thing to do.

Directly behind a hedge is the house, which is called Aspet, and next to the house is the studio. Neither is an enormous construction and the studio is likely just a tiny bit smaller than the home. We walked into the studio since the house is meant for guided tours while the studio allows a free flowing walk where you can actually get up next to the artwork and be as close as you like. These pictures are of the side and rear of the house as well as the front of the studio.





Inside the studio, Diana dominates the central working area. The top of her head stands perhaps ten feet off the ground and several images are included to give a sense of the room and the materials in the room. The studio is flooded with natural light as well as being filled with various works of art. These include a plaque that describes the little temple behind the studio and a special award presented to ASG at the Pan American Exposition in 1901, which was created by ASG’s former student, James Earle Fraser. Both the plaque and the award are about four feet in their longest dimension.













Just around the corner is a tiny extra room that had been the gift shop in the 1990s, but is now a display of additional works of art. This is the only part of the studio that is roped off and I managed to set off the alarm system when I leaned over to take an image. The Rangers ignored the alarm and, when I later told one that I inadvertently set it off, she told me it happens to them, too. These two images show some of the work on display in this tiny area including a work featuring Lincoln as well as a double eagle study with its negative.





As soon as one exits the studio there are a series of small gardens that have statues and pools. These three images are from the Pan Garden with the last of the three being a close-up of one of a series of four fish that fill up the marble pool.

 

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Past this garden there is a small wooded area with the Adams Memorial. This stands about seven feet high. At this point it was still not even 60-degrees and my wife and daughters were somewhat chilly, but willing to put up with an extended tour. This is my wife contemplating removing her sweater.







Just a few feet away sits a narrow, hedge enclosed area for the Shaw Memorial. I’ve included six images of the memorial to give a sense of depth and well as an idea about how much detail is present in the work. It is approximately four feet deep.













Next to this is a double row of birch trees where my daughters finally were beginning to enjoy the place.



This leads to the open air atrium and pool next to a newer gallery. The atrium prominently features Amor Caritas next to a reflecting pool. Tucked away next to the atrium is a small nook with a much larger than life study of Lincoln. I’m 6’4” and this work towered over my head.

 

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Inside the gallery there is a treasure trove for the numismatist. In the past there had been exhibits devoted to the production of the eagle and double eagle as well as the failed attempt at a cent. However, those exhibits are gone and in their place are two tables, about six feet long each, which have several drawers that can be opened to inspect the contents. These contain coins, medals, working plasters, drawings and more. One may open whatever drawers are of interest and can spend quite a while examining the pieces.









Also inside the gallery is Victory and again, one may go right up to it to get as close as desired. The images may make Victory appear to be a tiny work, but it is really about four or more feet in height.





By this time my daughters were really enjoying themselves and here is my younger one impersonating a statue. She looks rather Grecian with the flowing robe, which is actually a long shirt my wife wears after getting out of the pool.



On the opposite side atrium is the Farragut Memorial. This was the first large scale commission that ASG had received and was finished in 1881. The original sandstone base was replaced with marble in 1900 and the original base now sits on display at SGNHS. This is a really large work with Farragut standing taller than the base. My daughters are sitting on the original sandstone bench to give a sense of scale.





Next to this is a memorial to Henry Maxwell. Again, this stands perhaps seven feet in height. There is a remarkably and refreshingly small gift shop on the premises and even this has works (not for sale) scattered through it.





I’ve done write-ups on the SGNHS in the past, but it is worth repeating that this is a wonderful place to visit and spend an afternoon. We were there from just before 10:00 AM until nearly 12:30 and we saw one tour group of a dozen folks as well as two or three other families. Essentially, we had this wonderful, indoor-outdoor museum to ourselves in terrific weather. Later in the day there was a scheduled play to be performed on the site, but we leaf beforehand.

 

Excellent write up Tom, enjoyed it very much

 

Driven by there quite a bit myself was actually within 5 miles of it today ill have to take the time to check it out is one of those places I want to go but never seem to have time to stop at

 

Very enjoyable - thanks!

 

Great report, thanks! My only complaint would be ... why did you not visit the place and post this earlier this year? In May I was in the area with friends, we went to the American Precision Museum in Windsor, and even crossed the river (great covered bridge). So I was in Cornish, but did not know about the Saint Gaudens NHS, grmpf. Anyway, nice photos and a good story!

Christian

 

Very nice.

 

Thanks, I hope to get there one day!

 

Great post! If I never get up to that part of the country your pics make me feel like I've been there. Thanks.

 

Great thread.