August 6
Before starting to Saint-Gaudens NHP this morning, I had to agonize through the USWNT soccer loss to Sweden in the 2023 FIFA World Cup. If only one more penalty kick had been made, the USA would be moving on to the Quarterfinals. The ladies tried their best. Then it was time to head down I-91 to Windsor, VT. I worked in Goodyear’s factory here in 1984. When I retired last year, I was the last active GY associate to have spent time in that plant. The plant closed in 1986. A sign outside the building recognizes Goodyear’s ownership for fifty years. Then I crossed the Cornish-Windsor Bridge. This is the longest wooden bridge in the country, and the longest two-span covered bridge in the world. When General Lafayette came to America for his “Lafayette Tour” in 1825, he crossed the bridge on his way to Burlington, VT.
A few miles up the road, on the New Hampshire side of the Connecticut River is Saint-Gaudens’ home Aspet. Saint-Gaudens had his family summer in the home from 1885 to 1897 before purchasing the property, allowing him to then work full-time on his sculptures without interference. He built a couple of studios, separate from the house. By the time they moved in, there were no trees on the property, having been clear cut for the timber. One could see all the way to the Connecticut River. Today, though, there are 100 acres of forest in the park, with various trails for short hikes. One goes to Blow-Me-Down Pond, where the family obtained ice in the winter to store in their ice room. Mrs. Saint-Gaudens did not want electricity in the house, so an ice box was needed for food storage.
Coin collectors know Saint-Gaudens handiwork due to the $10 and $20 Gold Eagle coins. Sometime take a look at images of these coins. Examples are on display in the New Gallery, near the VC. This area also has the large Farragut Monument. Between this area and the house are other works, including Lincoln and the Colonel Shaw sculpture. They all look so life-like. Saint-Gaudens deserves to be listed as America’s premier sculpture artist. He died in 1907 from cancer, too young of an age at 59 years.
Congress recently changed the park’s designation from National Historic Site to National Historical Park. Some of the signs on the grounds, the park’s movie, and other items still mention “Site”. A ranger told me it can be slow going to get everything updated.