Travel Buddies: Pete & Joan

Living the Dream, One Trip at a Time

Saint-Gaudens

This visit to Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park in Cornish, New Hampshire, feels very different from our visits to the Civil War and Revolutionary War battlefields on this trip.

A serene forest scene featuring a small, winding creek surrounded by trees and fallen leaves.

It is quiet, artistic, reflective, with a really subtle, beautiful quality — almost like stumbling into a hidden creative retreat from America’s Gilded Age.

A large white house with black shutters and a porch, situated on a green lawn surrounded by trees.

The park preserves the home, studios, and gardens of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, considered one of America’s greatest sculptors. Have we heard about him before… no!! But have we seen some of his work… probably!  He designed famous Civil War monuments and the gold “double eagle” coins commissioned by President Theodore Roosevelt.

A golden statue of a figure holding a staff stands on a stone pedestal in a landscaped garden, surrounded by green grass and plants, with mountains in the background.

The park sits in the rolling countryside of western New Hampshire near the Connecticut River, with views toward Vermont and Mount Ascutney. The landscape itself is actually part of the experience. 

Aerial map of a location with labeled features, including 'You are here' and 'Visitor Center', surrounded by trees and fields.

We arrived via winding rural roads and then suddenly encountered elegant gardens, shaded walking paths, and a gracious old estate called “Aspet.”  Unfortunately, we arrived on a Wednesday, one of the days the buildings are closed.  BUT, the good thing is… the sculpture gardens are the heart of the visit, and the outdoors was wide open to us!!

A golden statue of a youthful male figure standing on a stone pedestal, holding a symbol in one hand with an elegant pose, surrounded by lush green foliage.

Large bronze statues appear among hedges, flowers, and lawns. Some are monumental Civil War memorials; others are quieter portrait works.

A monument featuring a statue of a soldier standing on a stone pedestal, surrounded by relief carvings, beneath a modern glass-roofed structure.
Statue of Abraham Lincoln standing next to a goat, surrounded by greenery and a concrete wall in the background.

One of the most moving was the “Shaw Memorial,” honoring Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the Black soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. The original is in Boston, but seeing the Saint-Gaudens bronze casting really conveyed its emotional power.

A bronze relief sculpture depicting a historical scene with a mounted soldier leading a group of infantrymen, surrounded by trees and greenery.

The marching soldiers almost feel like they are moving!

A historical panel describing the Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial, featuring text about the contributions of African American soldiers during the Civil War.

We could not enter the studio today, but we read that it contains plaster casts, sculpting tools, unfinished studies, photographs, and the working process of a major artist.   Saint-Gaudens and his family apparently turned the property into a gathering place for artists, writers, architects, and musicians during the years of the Cornish Art Colony.

A scenic view of a large, elegant house surrounded by lush greenery and a well-maintained garden, featuring a pathway of bricks leading to the entrance.

Although the buildings were not open, it was still a great visit, with art, birdsong, gardens, the smell of pine and grass, and sunlight on bronze sculptures!  Overall, a quiet artistic counterpoint to Revolutionary and Civil War sites!

A golden statue of a male figure standing on a stone base, with a graceful pose and detailed features.
A bronze statue of a seated figure draped in a hooded cloak, resting their chin on one hand, depicting a contemplative pose.
A small blue cabin surrounded by tall trees and forest undergrowth.
Workshops for artists are held in these buildings.