Category: New Hampshire

Saint-Gaudens NHS Sculpture Tour

On By nationalparkswithtIn New Hampshire3 Comments
Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!

New England Road Trip 2024➤

My friend Patty and I hit the road again in October 2024. Our route took us through Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and upstate New York. Along the way we hit several National Park Service Units and historic sites. We spent the first afternoon at Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site.

Saint-Gaudens➤

Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park in Cornish, New Hampshire, preserves the home, studios, and artwork of sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. He bought the property in the 1880s and made it his permanent residence. After his death in 1907, his family worked to protect the site. The Saint-Gaudens Memorial later transferred it to the National Park Service in 1965. Today, the park maintains his sculptures, historic buildings, and grounds while sharing his impact on American art and public monuments.

Augustus Saint-Gaudens, born in Ireland in 1848 and raised in New York, became one of America’s leading sculptors. He trained in Paris and Rome, then gained fame for public monuments like the Shaw Memorial. In the 1890s, he settled in Cornish, New Hampshire, where he created art and dealt with health issues until his death in 1907. His legacy includes iconic sculptures, U.S. coins, and lasting influence on American art.

Beyond the Bronze➤

We arrived at the historic site just in time to join a ranger-guided program called Beyond the Bronze. The ranger shared stories behind these works of art and the people they honor. He also explained the process of designing and casting a bronze sculpture. This program focused on four of the works displayed in the park.

The Standing Lincoln➤

We began the tour at the statue of Abraham Lincoln. This larger-than-life sculpture stands at the entrance to the park grounds, just past the visitor center. I recognized it immediately and scrolled through my phone to a photo I had taken at Lincoln’s tomb in Springfield, Illinois. That statue was a smaller replica of the one we now stood before.

In 1885, Augustus Saint-Gaudens began work on the monument to Abraham Lincoln for Chicago’s Lincoln Park. While summering in Cornish, New Hampshire, he found a model in Langdon Morse of nearby Windsor, Vermont, whose build closely resembled the president’s. For accuracy, Saint-Gaudens also drew on a life mask and hand casts of Lincoln made in 1860 by sculptor Leonard Volk. Two years later, he unveiled Abraham Lincoln: The Man, also known as The Standing Lincoln. It became the first public monument produced from his Cornish studio.

The statue’s influence extended far beyond Chicago. Over the years, it has been recast for diplomatic purposes, symbolizing Lincoln’s enduring legacy. In 1920, a copy was gifted to Great Britain and placed in Parliament Square. Decades later, in 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson presented another to Mexico as a gesture of friendship. That same year, Johnson signed the legislation establishing Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site.

Admiral Farragut Monument➤

From Lincoln, our group continued to the Admiral Farragut Monument. The bronze figure of Civil War Union naval hero David Glasgow Farragut stands in uniform, gazing forward with confident resolve. The statue still stands in New York’s Madison Square, where it was unveiled in 1881.

This commission marked Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ first major public monument and helped launch his reputation as a sculptor of national importance. He modeled Farragut with the assistance of live poses from a retired naval officer, while the pedestal design came from his friend, architect Stanford White. The New Hampshire recasting stands on the original Bluestone pedestal. New York replaced the base with a replica in 1934 because it was deteriorating.

Robert Gould Shaw & Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial➤

Next, we approached the Shaw Memorial, one of Saint-Gaudens’ most powerful and emotionally charged works. The sculpture honors Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, one of the first African American units to fight in the Civil War. Saint-Gaudens captures both the dignity of the commanding officer and the courage of the men who marched into battle under his leadership.

The relief depicts Shaw on horseback at the center, surrounded by his regiment in detailed marching formation. Each figure was modeled with care to reflect realistic features and individual character, a testament to Saint-Gaudens’ commitment to humanizing the soldiers he portrayed. Completed in 1897 and originally installed on Boston Common, the work was celebrated for its artistic innovation and historical significance. After reflecting on the courage and sacrifice of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, we moved on to a very different, more introspective work: the Adams Memorial.

Adams Memorial➤

Our final stop was the Adams Memorial, a contemplative work that stands in quiet contrast to the heroic figures we had seen earlier. Commissioned by historian Henry Adams in memory of his wife, Marian “Clover” Hooper Adams, the sculpture evokes a sense of mourning, introspection, and spiritual reflection.

This memorial stands in the cemetery in Washington DC. Created by Saint-Gaudens in the 1890s, the bronze figure is shrouded in a heavy cloak, seated with head bowed, and hands gently folded. The work diverges from his public monuments of historical figures, focusing instead on personal loss and the universal experience of sorrow.

We concluded our tour at the Little Studio, where we explored a few of the exhibits inside. The space offered insight into Saint-Gaudens’ creative process, from sketches and models to tools and personal artifacts. From commanding monuments to intimate memorials, Saint-Gaudens’ works at the historic site reveal the depth of his vision and skill.

New England Posts➤

Location: 139 St Gaudens Rd, Cornish, New Hampshire
Designation: National Historical Park
Date designated/established: May 30, 1977
Date of my visit: October 3, 2024