Cogswell's Grant
Cogswell's Grant is a working farm and historic house museum in Essex, Massachusetts. It was the summer home of Bertram K. and Nina Fletcher Little, famous collectors of American decorative arts in the mid-20th century. Nina Little researched and wrote about American folk art, including decorative painting, floor coverings, boxes, and New England pottery.
In 1937 the Littles bought the farm, with its 18th-century farmhouse overlooking the Essex River, as a family retreat and place to entertain. They named it Cogswell's Grant after John Cogswell, the first English colonial owner of the property, which covers about 165 acres.
They carefully restored the farmhouse, preserving original 18th-century finishes and decorating it with items from their large collection. Over more than 50 years, they sought pieces with strong, quirky character and original finishes, especially those with New England histories. They designed the interior for visual delight rather than strict historical accuracy, creating a rich, atmospheric space crowded with objects such as primitive paintings, redware, painted furniture, Shaker boxes, weather vanes, and decoys—the elements that define the country look.
Bertram Little served for many years as president of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, now known as Historic New England. The Littles bequeathed the property and its contents to Historic New England in 1984. Today, part of a 19th-century barn north of the house serves as a visitor center, while the rear part of the house is used as a caretaker’s residence and for visitor restrooms.
Cogswell's Grant is open for public tours Wednesday through Sunday, June 1 to October 15.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 19:52 (CET).