Deciding what to do on a partly overcast summer Sunday afternoon, I headed south along the Connecticut River to Cornish, NH. Cornish, once a hot-bed of budding painters, sculptors, illustrators, novelists, composers, and musicians is a small community along the banks of the Connecticut River about a half hour’s drive from Hanover. My destination was the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site and the only National Park in NH. Once the private residence of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the grounds and various buildings now house many of his original works. The Farragut Monument, his first commissioned public monument, commemorates Civil War Admiral David Glasgow Farragut and the Shaw Memorial commemorating the Massachusetts 54th Regiment of African American Volunteers showcase his artistic legacy. Old-fashioned perennials grace the property and pine and hemlock hedges encase a formal setting for additional sculpture pieces.
The Trustees of the Park have arranged with various musical artists to perform on Sunday afternoons in the “Little Studio” building. Pending fair skies, visitors bring lawn chairs and picnic on the grounds. The season opening event featured Aine Minogue on Celtic harp and vocals and Eugene Freisen on cello. The studio was filled to overflowing with enthusiastic guests and many more spilled onto the lawns to enjoy two hours of sweet melodic tunes.
After spending an enjoyable afternoon at Saint-Gaudens, I headed south along Route 12A towards Windsor, VT. and home to the longest covered bridge in the United States, spanning an amazing 449’ 5”. The Cornish-Windsor Bridge, built in two sections as a lattice truss structure, is the longest two span bridge in the world and it has been recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.
Just after crossing this enormous bridge, a right hand turn brings you onto Windsor’s Main Street. In a block or so look for the Firehouse Museum also known as the Cornish Colony Museum, home of many works of Maxfield Parrish. I had just enough time to have a quick look around and was delighted to learn that this summer’s feature is “The Artistry of the Women of the Cornish Colony.” Works by Bessie Potter Vonnoh, Helen Mears, Frances Grimes and Edith Mitchill Prellwitz are among those on display.
The afternoon flew by and I was enriched beyond expectation, well worth a repeat visit or two!
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