New Hampshire - Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site and a walk through historic sculptures.
In the summer of 2019, there were only a handful of states that I had not visited National Park Service properties in. Several of those states were in the far northeast section of the United States. I decided to take a quick road trip of the northeast – flying in and out of New York, and driving through New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. That sounds impressive, but these states are close together, and I planned a tight itinerary. Using the www.findyourpark.com site, I mapped out a route that would allow me to visit NPS sites in each of those states.
There is only one NPS property in New Hampshire, and that is the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. It is a 370-acre property in Cornish, New Hampshire. The White Mountain National Forest is also in New Hampshire, and the Appalachian Trail also runs through New Hampshire, but a bit further north. I have hiked in those beautiful woods before, but for this trip, I needed something a little less time consuming.
I had been to this location before - several years ago when one of my siblings was a Ranger here. This time, without the benefit of a family member tour guide, I was on my own to explore the property. Regardless, I toured this spot again. I don't remember watching the video last time, probably because of the luxury of the tour guide, so I watched it this time. As with almost all NPS videos, it was done very well. It gave a great overview of Saint-Gauden's life, and how he came to own the property.
Saint-Gauden was an esteemed sculpture, and he designed and built several well-known and recognizable sculptures. In addition, he created the castings for coins, including a $20 gold piece that was minted between 1905 – 1907 by the US Mint.
There are several of his sculptures on the grounds and in buildings around the property. In addition, you can tour his house, which has all his own original furniture in it. There are several buildings on the grounds, including a few galleries, as well as a location for a visiting artist to do their thing. This site not only gives a wonderful history and view of art, but it is also a pretty cool glimpse into live of the early 1900's.
