Sunday, August 7, 2011

HISTORIC NEW ENGLAND- PART TWO

Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House.... perched on a rock ledge overlooking Gloucester Harbor in Massachusetts stands the majestic Beauport. Built in 1907, Beauport was the summer home to Henry Davis Sleeper, one of America's first professional interior designers. Mr. Sleeper, however, had no formal training. When Sleeper, along with his mother moved into Beauport it held twenty-six rooms.

Right from the "get go" you realize Beauport is no ordinary home. This home is filled with mystery as well as whimsy, nooks and crannies are filled from top to bottom with his diverse collections. Beauport is home to "ten thousand" objects, each room is designed as a stage set and every inch of space has a purpose. Sleeper was a pioneer in recycling....especially wooden doors, glass, and pine paneling which has been re purposed in this home. Doorways are filled with blown and pressed amber glass lit from behind by sunlight dancing off mirrors. There are secret passage ways....built to delight as well as frighten guests, Mr. Sleeper enjoyed keeping his guests on their toes...This man was a Thomas Jefferson, certainly a man ahead of his time...This home tour is like any other....a one hour tour is just not sufficient enough to absorb all that Beauport has to offer....I hope to return for the "nooks and crannies" behind the scene tour later in the summer....I highly recommend visiting this home....it is filled with primitives, hooked rugs, depression and sandwich glass, books, paintings, wooden ware, red ware, textiles, if you can think of it you will discover it here.


a dove cote built into the cedar roof....

love it.... windows made with a lead design which matched and highlighted interior wallpaper....




English influence found everywhere...


exterior carvings found under the eaves throughout the exterior of the home... among the ferns....


hollyhocks....

and phlox....


front side of the home facing the Atlantic ocean....

garden whimsy everywhere....












Mr Sleeper neglected nothing....upon completion Beauport was home to forty-eight rooms....if you find yourself in this area....along the picturesque coast of Gloucester....stop and have a "look see" and then grab yourself a lobster roll, you'll be glad you did.....

14 comments:

Denise said...

Reminds me a little of Castle in the Clouds in Meridith, NH, looks like a place I would love to visit.

Farm Girl said...

They wouldn't let you take pictures inside, right? It is just beautiful. I will keep it on my list of things I will do someday. I would love to see that. I have never heard of it before.
So glad you went and visited.

Margaret said...

Visited Gloucester, Salem & Rockport in April. Have visited since I was a child and it still is such a special place to me. We visit often and my children love going too!

Maggie/Maggie's Lil' Fixins

Larkrise garden girl said...

What an interesting home. What beautiful outdoor sculptures.I love the lady and the fern.What a view. I love the thought of secret passage ways.Thanks so much for the wonderful history of Beauport.

Cathy G. said...

Wow! What a fabulous historic home! It looks wonderfully taken care off! To bad you couldn't get some photos of the inside! The grounds are breathtaking!
Thanks Julie for posting this!
Cathy G

Sassafras and Winterberry said...

Gloucester is such a neat area. I grew up not far from there but I've never been to this house. Looks beautiful. Would make a neat setting for a mystery book.
Courtney

from me to thee......... said...

omg!!! That is just beautiful....I would love to put that on my list of places to see....just awesome.

Terry Golson said...

You've got to go back and take a HNE "hidden places" tour. I took one there and we got to see the workings of the house and where the help helped. Love HNE!

Ginny said...

Wow, sounds like a great place to visit.

Terry and Linda said...

WOW! I would love to go there and see it...to travel through the rooms and see the past. Thanks for the tour!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

Alison @ The Polohouse said...

Thanks so much for sharing this place! It looks enchanting and what a view!

I would love to visit there and I am so excited to have found you this evening... popping around on blog roll lists!

Love your pretty blog and I look forward to reading more and getting to know you!

Your newest follower.
Alison

acorn hollow said...

I have never been to that area. the thing on the green ball is scary though the rest of the house is beautiful.
Cathy

Pondside said...

I'd love to have a ramble through that house! There's such a lot to see in your part of the world.

Maura @ Kisiwa Creek Photography said...

Oh Julie what a gorgeous home! I love homes that are different...I guess that's why I love your home so much. I also love anything English...LOVE LOVE LOVE all those windows in the one picture...oh how I'd LOVE to have a home just a fraction of the size of this place but with all the character. I hope you get to go back again one day so you can photograph the inside...I can just imagine how different it is. THANK YOU for sharing this with us!
Maura :)