Friday, September 26, 2008

Touring St Gaudens

Atrium and Pool w/Turtle Fountains at New Gallery


Friday, September 26, 2008

Sometimes the Vermont Gardener needs to get out and about a little more and this past week presented a series of beautiful days and just enough time to scoot away in between business. On the agenda was the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, NH. Alex and I had been there before but Gail, our family artist, hadn't made it.

This site incorporates the home, gardens and studios of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a sculptor of the American Renaissance. There's more than enough history in the area to spend days writing about since Cornish became an artists colony for many years. There remains a profound sense of a different time when you walk inside Aspet, St Gauden's Federal style home. Your respect grows for this artist as you walk the grounds and pass through the studios. Here are some photos.



Bust of Lincoln, one of many sculptures of Lincoln including the famous "Standing Lincoln". This is part of the atrium, the new gallery and the picture gallery.



Birch alley paralleling the Shaw and the Adams Memorials



Shaw Memorial: the monument to service by the 54th Regiment of African American Volunteers in Boston.

Side gardens at Aspet


Flower Gardens



Looking towards Mt Ascutney, Vermont


From Aspet towards memorials

Path to memorials


Little Studio


Little Studio open porch which uses grapes for cool shade



View towards Mt Ascutney from in front of Farragut Memorial which includes the statue of David Glasgow Farragut, the Civil War Admiral


We stopped for a bit to speak with the resident sculptor and learn how these beautiful bronze pieces are made from the clay sculpture. It's fascinating to learn and compliments so well the gardens that obviously provided so much peace to the intensity of this man's work.

As we left the national park, we retraced our route, and went across the covered bridge to Windsor, Vermont. This is the longest wooden covered bridge in the nation. We stopped at Harpoon Brewery and picked up a case of root beer and a case of cream soda for Alex, meandered to West Lebanon NH for sustenance and returned to Marshfield in time to rototill more daylilies and take some evening photos of Gail standing in the zinnias. St Gaudens is a worthwhile trip for gardener and non gardener alike.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where I just heard Gail coming back from a church supper with a couple friends. Fall suppers in New England are traditional and something you just "have to do". Try one!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Vermont Gardens

1 comment:

Peter Holland said...

Fantastic use of sculpture in an outdoor space. I love the outdoor room feel to the layout of the gardens.

Thanks for sharing this.