Built in 1907, Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House was the summer home of one of America’s first professional interior designers, Henry Davis Sleeper. Now a National Historic Landmark, perched on a rock ledge overlooking Gloucester Harbor, Beauport was Sleeper’s retreat, a backdrop for entertaining and a professional showcase.
After Sleeper’s death, Beauport was purchased by the McCanns, who left it largely intact.
Sleeper’s lifetime collection of curiosities, colored glass, folk art, china, and silhouettes fill every nook and alcove. Each of the forty rooms is distinguished by a historical or literary figure, theme, color, shape, or object. No two rooms are the same, and each is more visually dazzling than the last. Get to know Sleeper, a gay man living in the early twentieth century; his housekeeper, Mary Wonson; his fascinating neighbors; and the house’s many colorful guests.
Open seasonally, Tuesday through Saturday. (Opens in May, closes in October)