Historic Artists' Homes and Studios

Historic Artists' Homes and Studios (HAHS) is a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation established in 1999. It is the only national organization dedicated to preserving and interpreting site-specific aspects of American art history through artists' workspaces and residences.^{[citation needed]} Encompassing 80 historic member sites, HAHS maintains a network of preserved studio spaces, homes, and artistic environments where influential American artists created their work.^[1] The program's member sites range from individual artists' studios and house museums to historic art colonies, each offering unique insights into the creative processes and living conditions of their former occupants. HAHS is distinguished by its focus on the intersection of artistic creation and place, preserving not only the physical spaces but also the environmental contexts that influenced notable American artworks. These sites provide rare opportunities for public access to authentic creative spaces, including preserved studios, domestic settings, and landscapes that played crucial roles in American art history.^[2][3][4]

History

The initiative for the HAHS program originated in 1993. The program was conceived by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a way to support organizations preserving historic sites that were not directly under the Trust's portfolio, with the goal of creating thematic connections between sites and fostering collaborative preservation efforts.^[5]

Following a feasibility study completed in 1997, HAHS entered its pilot phase in 1999 with significant funding from the Jessie Ball DuPont Fund and the Henry Luce Foundation. The Luce Foundation grant specifically enabled the establishment of a test group focused on American art-related historic sites. Drawing from the Trust's experience with Chesterwood, the home and studio of sculptor Daniel Chester French in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, HAHS formally launched in 2000 with an initial coalition of twenty sites.^[6][7]

The program was structured as a membership-based organization requiring peer review for acceptance. In 1999, a 15-member advisory committee made up of scholars from Stanford, Columbia, and the University of Virginia evaluated 48 applications for the "historical significance of the artist, site and/or collections; the educational value of the site" and more.^[7][8] Its founding objectives centered on three main areas: facilitating peer collaboration and professional development, enhancing visibility through joint marketing efforts, and providing access to technical resources and professional dialogue.^[5]

Operating as an ongoing program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, HAHS has broadened its scope to include grant-making, professional development workshops, public programming, and international partnerships. Each member site is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the working environment of either individual artists or artist communities.^[5][9]

Expansion

Since its establishment, HAHS has experienced significant growth, expanding from its original twenty in 1999. The program expanded to 36 members by 2017, and by 2020, included 44 sites, which were featured in the publication Guide to Historic Artists' Homes and Studios.^[10]In 2021, HAHS added four new sites as part of the "Where Women Made History" initiative,^[11] followed by seven additional sites in 2022, bringing the total to 55.^[12]The program introduced an affiliate membership category in 2023, expanding to "61 historic sites across 25 states."^[13]In a significant development in January 2025, HAHS announced a major expansion that welcomed 19 new affiliate sites, bringing the total membership to 80 sites across 31 states.^[1]

Sites

• 101 Spring Street, New York City, home and studio of artist Donald Judd (1928–1994).
• Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida, home and studio of sculptor Albin Polasek (1879–1965)
• Alice Austen House, Staten Island, New York, home of Alice Austen (1866–1952)^[14]
• Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, West Palm Beach, Florida, home of sculptor Ann Weaver Norton (1905–1982)
• Burchfield Homestead Museum, home of Charles Ephraim Burchfield
• Thomas Cole National Historic Site, Catskill, New York, home of Thomas Cole (1801–1848)
• Demuth Museum, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, primary residence of the artist Charles Demuth (1883–1935)
• Daniel Chester French studio, Chesterwood, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts
• Eanger Irving Couse, Taos, New Mexico, historic home and studio of Eanger Irving Couse (1866–1936)
• Edward Virginius Valentine, Richmond, Virginia, sculpture studio of Edward V. Valentine (1838–1930)
• Elisabet Ney Museum, Austin, Texas studio of Elisabet Ney (1833–1907)
• Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, Connecticut, home of Florence Griswold and center of the Old Lyme Art Colony
• Fonthill Museum, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, home of Henry Chapman Mercer (1856–1930), archaeologist, collector, and tile maker
• Frelinghuysen Morris House and Studio, home of George L.K. Morris and Suzy Frelinghuysen in Lenox, Massachusetts
• Gari Melchers Home and Studio, Falmouth, Virginia
• Grace Hudson Museum and Sun House, Ukiah, California, home of Grace Carpenter Hudson (1865–1937)^[7]
• Grant Wood studio, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
• Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, Denver, Colorado, original studio and art school building of Vance Kirkland
• Manitoga, The Russel Wright Design Center of Russel Wright (1904–1976) and Mary Wright, Garrison, New York; includes the Russel and Mary Wright Design Gallery^[15][16]
• Melrose Plantation Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana home of Clementine Hunter (1887–1988)
• N. C. Wyeth House and Studio of artist N.C. Wyeth (1882–1945) at Brandywine River Museum of Art in Chadds Ford Township, Pennsylvania
• Newsday Center for Dove/Torr Studies of Arthur Dove and Helen Torr^{[citation needed]}
• Olana State Historic Site, home of Frederic E. Church (1826–1900) near Hudson, New York
• Pewabic Pottery pottery of Mary Chase Perry Stratton (1867–1961) in Detroit, Michigan
• Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center of Jackson Pollock (1912–1956) and Lee Krasner (1908–1984) in East Hampton, New York
• Renee and Chaim Gross Foundation of Chaim Gross
• Roger Brown Study Collection of Roger Brown
• Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site of Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848–1907)
• Sam Maloof Historic Residence and Woodworking Studio of Sam Maloof (born 1916)
• T. C. Steele State Historic Site of Theodore Clement Steele (1847–1926)^[6][17]
• Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio State Historic Site of Thomas Hart Benton (1889–1975)
• Weir Farm National Historic Site of J. Alden Weir (1852–1919)
• Wharton Esherick Museum of Wharton Esherick (1887–1970)
• Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts^[18] of Beatrice Wood (1893–1998) in Ojai, California

Further reading

• Guide to Historic Artists' Homes and Studios. By Valerie Balint. Hudson, New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2020^[19][20]