Roseland Cottage: A Victorian Gem in Pink

Step back in time at Roseland Cottage, a National Historic Landmark in Woodstock, Connecticut. This 1846 Gothic Revival summer home, with its distinctive pink exterior, was built for Henry Chandler Bowen and his family. Bowen, a successful businessman and abolitionist, used Roseland Cottage as a place to entertain friends, family, and political connections, including four U.S. Presidents. The cottage's interior boasts elaborate wall coverings, heavily patterned carpets, and stained glass, much of which has been preserved from the Victorian era. Explore the original boxwood-edged parterre gardens, planted in the 1850s, and visit the icehouse, aviary, carriage barn, and the nation's oldest surviving indoor bowling alley. Roseland Cottage offers guided tours, providing insights into the lifestyle and tastes of a prosperous Victorian family. The grounds are open to the public from dawn to dusk. Roseland Cottage provides a unique glimpse into the past, showcasing the architecture, interior design, and social life of the Victorian era. It's a testament to the vision of Andrew Jackson Downing, whose principles of practicality and the picturesque are reflected in the house and its surrounding landscape.