Aspet

View of Aspet

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

Cornish, NH

Significance:

Home of internationally renowned, artist, sculptor, teacher, and leader in American culture, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and his family.

Designation:

National Park, National Register of Historic Places, National Landmark

Amenities

3 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Restroom - Seasonal, Scenic View/Photo Spot

Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907) was not impressed when he saw this building in April 1885. The celebrated sculptor could relax and focus on his work outside of New York City having achieved an income which could afford the luxury of a summer place. This property, however, appeared “so forbidding and relentless” on that dark, rainy day to him that one “might have imagined a skeleton half hanging out of the window, shrieking and dangling in the gale, with the sound of clanking bones.” Nonetheless, Augusta Saint-Gaudens (1848-1926), the sculptor’s wife, saw potential in the property and the Saint-Gaudens family first occupied the house that summer. Soon, the place had become a beloved home.

The Saint-Gaudens family continued summering here and gradually made many changes that reflected their lives and tastes. The sculptor named the estate ‘Aspet’ after the town in France where his father was born. They added terraces, gardens, and porches.  Inside, the family renovated the aging structure and decorated the space with objects from around the world. The summer home became a primary residence not long after Augustus Saint-Gaudens was diagnosed with cancer in 1900. This estate in New Hampshire became the center of internationally known sculptor’s life until his death here seven years later.

Augusta Saint-Gaudens, continued to summer at Aspet after her husband’s death and, in 1919, established the Saint-Gaudens Memorial. After her death in 1926, this private, nonprofit organization opened the home to public as a museum. In 1964, the Saint-Gaudens Memorial donated the property and many furnishings to the National Park Service.

The first floor of Aspet is open limited hours seasonally.