Just when I think I have found my dream home, in quite little country town with respectful neighbors and a chorus of birds and frogs and snakes that creep in and out of the yard all day as Lucy and I garden, I find another home to swoon after. Only it’s not for sale but it is STUFFED to the gills with American folk art and if only it were for sale I could have the instant colonial lifestyle I’ve always dreamed of {with indoor plumbing of course. Let’s not go crazy here}.
If you are a lover of folk art, then you need to run, not walk to Cogswell’s Grant Estate in Essex, Massachusetts. Because this estate has hands down, the best collection of American Folk Art I have ever seen in any one location. By far. And I’ve been to a lot of museums and am a sincere admirer of American folk art.
I could have spent an entire week in the place, and can only imagine what it would have been like to have been on the team that had the privilege to catalog everything in the home {which took them over 5 years to do!}. I could totally be a docent there. You know, one of those crazy passionate ones that gets excited talking about butter molds and pin cushions for an hour to tourists.
Cogswell’s Grant was the summer home of Bertram K. and Nina Fletcher Little, preeminent collectors of American decorative arts who purchased the circa 1732 home, farmhouse and 165 acres of land in 1937. The property was named Cogswell’s Grant, after John Cogswell, who was the original 1636 land receipt.
Over the next 50 years the couple carefully restored the home trying to preserve it’s original finishes as well as collecting antiques from the New England area to furnish and decorate the home.
Nina authored several books on the country arts of early American homes and her husband Bertram, was president of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, {which is now called Historic New England} for more than 23 years. Mrs. Little transferred property ownership over to Society for the Preservation Of New England Antiquities in 1984, reserving life tenancy rights for herself and her family.
I simply cannot recommend this estate enough! In fact the HH and I loved visiting Cogswell’s Grant much, we’ve decided to sign up for a household membership to Historic New England so we can tour more homes this summer {most homes are open June 1st – October 15th for tours}. Lobster shacks and historic homes…. talk about the ultimate theme for this years date days!
Life it’s one big adventure. Get out there and enjoy it!
Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone,
~ Mavis
Cogswell’s Grant
60 Spring Street
Essex, MA 01929
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Cathy says
What fun, looking forward to the fall colors too
Lynne says
I love memberships like this. You support a good cause and have an excuse to go out and do something even when you are having a frugal week.
Ken Newman says
Have you ever seen ” Early American Life ” magazine? You might find it interesting. I’ve gotten a ton of ideas from their pages. It makes a nice read……especially in the Winter months….with a cup of tea by the wood burner ( cat on lap optional ).
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes! I want to get a subscription to the magazine. It’s pretty amazing.
Heidi says
I too love old timey things. So fascinating and I love trying to figure what things were used for. The one thing about the photos that made me shudder was the amount of dusting I would have to do if I had a collection like that! Yikes!
Laura says
My parents are big time folk art enthusiasts and they would love to check this place out. Me, I just look at that furniture and think how uncomfortable it all must be. No lounging for those Yanks that is for sure! Lots of great ideas for your home. Glad you enjoyed it!
Robyn says
I love this! I live in the PNW and am so envious of your membership- I’ve always felt I was born in the wrong era and on the wrong coast too. Be sure to post more photos of the houses you tour so we can live vicariously!
Marybeth says
I will have to add it to our list of must sees. We are going to Boston in 2 weeks to look at colleges and always have time to do some other stuff. We are going for a week in August to the Berkshires so I will have to see what it is close too.
Mavis Butterfield says
Tatte Bakery, Maria’s Pastry Shop and Mike’s Pastry are my favorite in Boston. 🙂
Marcia says
This is so cool!
Pat says
Ok, so now I’m practically drooling!
Kristy says
Have you been to Colonial Williamsburg in VA? It is one of my all time favorite places to visit. We buy a yearly pass so we can go whenever we want, have access to whatever happens to be open that day, and the pass also includes the museums (Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum and DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum). The last time we went, we visited the cabinet maker, and got to see them working on their current projects along with asking questions about the hows and whys of it all. Colonial times were very visually beautiful period in history.
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes! I loved the homes and giant vegetable gardens there.
Tracy says
Mavis, consider a subscription to Yankee Magazine. Take a look. Also, be sure to visit Gettysburg sometime. I have no interest in the battles and battlefields, etc., but the historic town is really something. Also, for the same reason, get yourself to Mystic, Connecticut. It’s not too far from where you are.
Mavis Butterfield says
The Girl and I LOVE Mystic, Connecticut!!!!
Mary3M says
Hope you and the HH tried woodman’s. Amazing seafood!!!
Paula T. says
Has anyone suggested subscribing to Yankee Magazine? Always great New England info and sweet spots to check out.
Eliza says
Have you checked out Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth NH? It’s one of my favorite spots in New England. They’ve preserved homes from several different periods in the history of the neighborhood, at least one very pretty flower garden and some veggie gardens, and they have wonderful tours.
Also Plymouth Plantation in MA, though I haven’t been in nearly 25 years so I don’t know if it’s as wonderful now as it was when I was a kid!
Mavis Butterfield says
We’ve walked by Strawberry Banke but have not been inside any of the homes yet. It’s on our list as is Plymouth Plantation in MA.
E in Upstate NY says
Looking at your pic of the stool covered with a hooked rug, made me think about your rugs. Do you leave enough edge when you finish your rugs that it could be slightly destructed and used to top a foot stool?
Possible combined project for you and your husband, hooked foot stools? You make the rugs and he makes the stools. Another retirement project for the two of you for sure. And think of all the wonderful wood working toys, er tools he could accumulate!