Augustus Saint-Gaudens and the Cornish Colony

In the late 19th century, the artist colony in Cornish, New Hampshire was regarded the most beautifully landscaped village in America.

Augustus Saint-Gaudens working in his studio,1908, by Kenyon Cox. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Public Domain

Alongside the Connecticut River amid bucolic hills and mountains lies the western New Hampshire town of Cornish. This small town, home to the world’s longest two-span covered bridge, became famous in the mid-20th century as the place where elusive author J.D. Salinger chose to retreat permanently from New York City. Cornish’s artistic history, though, extends to the late-19th century. Starting in 1885, America’s preeminent sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, routinely left his New York City residence and studio to spend summers in the cooler clime of Cornish.

Saint-Gaudens's estate (named "Aspet") at the Cornish Colony in Cornish, N.H. National Park Services. Public Domain