One of the real gems belonging to the US Park Service is the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. Located near the Connecticut River in New Hampshire, our GPS gave us quite a thrill finding it! After-the-fact we were told to follow the directions on the website, NOT the GPS. We made it, and are very glad we're here.
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| From Saint Guadens National Historic S |
If the Saint-Gauden name doesn't ring a bell, his scupture will. Augustus Saint-Gaudens was born in 1848 and died in 1907. His best known works include the Standing Lincoln, the Shaw Memorial and the 1907 design for the $20 gold piece, surely worth a fortune today.
His home, studio and gardens are all on display. Regrettably we missed the tour of the house, but had access to all of his studio and gardens. What a setting!
His studio is filled with both working models of many of his largest works, and many others which were of friends and family. General William T. Sherman and author Robert Lewis Stevenson both sat for him. One of Saint-Gaudens' heroes was President Abraham Lincoln, who the sculptor saw in person in 1860 and then again lying in state after Lincoln was assassinated.
The grounds consist of over 150 acres, with sculptures in various parts of the formal gardens. Although I don't know the name of the exquisite angel above, she is one of our favorites.
In 1900, at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, Saint-Gaudens won the Grand Prix for his artwork, which included the Shaw Memorial and Sherman Monument.
The Temple, pictured above, is where family and friends entertained with plays. Today it is the resting place for his ashes along with his wife Augusta, brother Louis, son Homer, daughter-in-law Carlota, and nephew Harold.
The slide show below features more of his work and the park.
For further information:
Saint-Gaudens Historic Site
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