Interior designers always seem to have the most interesting homes.
Hi everyone ken here, welcome to this house.
Today we are exploring the home of Henry Davis Sleeper, one of, if not the most, accomplished
interior designers in American history.
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In 1907, Henry Davis Sleeper set out to build what would become known as, “one of the
most widely published houses of the 20th century.”
He had gained an outstanding reputation as an interior designer for the country’s most
elite including designing the interiors of the Du Ponts’ homes, the Chestertown House
and Winterthur.
As Henry continued his search, he came across the town of Gloucester Massachusetts.
While staying at the Red Roof, he was inspired not only by the aesthetic of the building,
but also by the natural beauty of the harbor.
He found the perfect plot of land offering sweeping views of Gloucester Harbor and named
his estate Beauport, an homage to the original French name for the harbor, Le Beau Port.
With an ideal location secured, Henry began construction on a 26 room mansion.
He imported the remnants of an abandoned mansion from Essex County and began using the architectural
salvage to piece together the interior.
The eclectic amalgamation of architectural styles varied from twisting chimneys to belfry
towers, fitting of a designer of such status to create something truly unusual and captivatingly
beautiful all in its own right.
As time went on, the mansion expanded to include 40 total rooms with secret passages connecting
rooms, each with their own special name.
The Octagon room was finished out with warm wood panels encircling blank ceilings.
In the center, playing on the geometric theme of the space, was an octagonal table set on
an octagonal rug.
The décor was as you see here, with warm colors mixed with plants and floral motifs
to compliment the terracotta tones in the leather bound books and antiques.
The China Trade Room was made to look like the interior of a pagoda with the steeply
pitched ceiling topping out at 25 feet high.
The rooms odd proportions were strictly inspired by a discovery Henry had made while planning
his house.
Robert Morris had commissioned this wallpaper to be used in his Philadelphia mansion, but
it was never installed.
Henry purchased it and designed the room to the dimensions of the available wallpaper.
He also filled it with fine Chinese porcelains which he had collected over the years.
Henry had many collections, including amethyst glass which he proudly displayed in a window,
allowing a soft pink light to flow over the glossy wood finishes.
The Pine Kitchen was made to be a homey space with low ceilings baring exposed beams and
two oversized chairs comfortably placed by the hearth.
To bring color into an otherwise monochromatic room, Henry brought in colorful textiles and
pottery to rest on the wide plank floors.
Standing in stark contrast was the Paul Revere room with dramatic black louvres and red accents,
the quasi gothic room was flooded with natural light creating a dynamic balance with its
color scheme.
Having enjoyed nearly 3 decades in the house, Henry passed away in 1934, having never made
a will.
The courts decided to pass Beauport along to his brother Stephen who simply could not
afford the maintenance of a mansion.
He sold it to Helena Woolworth, an heiress to the FW Woolworth fortune and her husband
Charles McCann who had recently purchased the FW Woolworth Mansion at auction.
Helena approached the property’s acquisition with an eye for preservation.
She was fond not only of the eclectic architecture, but also of Henry’s collection of antiques
and art.
She retained most of the furnishing and décor, but made a few changes to the Chinese Trade
Room to better suit her own collection of Chinese Chippendale Furniture and Porcelains.
Upon the deaths of Helena and Charles, Beauport passed to their adult children who were also
keen to historic preservation.
They made the joint decision to donate not only the house, but all of its antiques, furnishings,
and art to Historic New England.
Since 1947, it has been open to the public for tours.
While some of the outbuildings have been converted to better suit the museum’s operations,
the interior of the main home is almost exactly how it appeared when Henry passed away.
If you have ever visited this home, I would love to hear about your experience down below
in the comments section.
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