Beauport, 1907-34
A National Historic Landmark
The Sleeper-McCann House
75 Eastern Point Blvd.
Gloucester, Mass. 01930
(978) 283-0800
Directions
Open: June 1 through October 15
Tuesday through Saturday
Tours at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Admission: $10, Historic New England members and Gloucester residents free
Take a photographic tour of Beauport
Beauport, the summer home of the collector and interior designer
Henry Davis Sleeper, is a fantasy house built on the rocks
overlooking Gloucester Harbor. Crowned by towers, dormers, and
dovecotes, the structure encloses a labyrinth of rooms decorated to
evoke different historical and literary themes.
Every nook and alcove holds a composition of
curiosities, folk art, china, or colored glass. The settings -- playful
variations on subjects like the early American kitchen, an English cottage, or
the sea captain's retreat -- are arranged to amuse and to stimulate the
imagination.
Beauport served Sleeper as an escape, a backdrop for
summer parties, and as a showcase for his professional skills. The house was
frequently published in books and magazines, and its influence came to shape the
way we view America's past.
It is thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. F. McCann and their children that Historic New England continues
the hospitality that Sleeper showed and welcomes visitors to tour Beauport. After Sleeper's death in
1934, the house was put up for sale. The McCann's, who first saw Beauport while
on a yachting trip, purchased the house and grounds intact. The family used
Beauport primarily as a summer place and, for the most part, left Sleeper's
arrangements alone. After the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. McCann, the couple's three
children carried out their late parents’ wishes and donated the house and its
contents to SPNEA, now known as Historic New England.
Summer programs at Beauport
include tea on the terrace overlooking Gloucester Harbor, and a
concert. A museum shop displays
reproduction Historic New England
glass, books and other gift items.
Directions: Take Route I-95/128 north to the end.
At second set of lights after the second rotary, take East Main
Street 1.5 miles to stone gates at the entrance to Eastern Point
Boulevard. Follow Eastern Point Boulevard .5 mile to Beauport.
For archival quality fine art reproductions from Beauport,
visit www.lookclickprint.com
Discover more about Beauport in the Historic New England
magazine archives:
