Cogswell’s Grant

Just off Spring Street, a short walk from the center of Essex, Cogswell’s Grant is one of the most quietly extraordinary places on Cape Ann.

The 1728 farmhouse was the summer home of Bertram and Nina Fletcher Little, preeminent collectors of American decorative arts whose assembled collection of folk art portraits, painted furniture, redware pottery, hooked rugs, weathervanes, and decoys fills every room in a way that feels genuinely inhabited rather than curated.

The Littles decorated with an eye for atmosphere and visual delight, and the result is a house that rewards lingering. The surrounding 165-acre working farm has been in continuous operation since 1636 and overlooks the Essex River and salt marsh.

Note: Guided house tours June 1 through October 15, Wednesday through Sunday, 11am to 5pm, tours on the hour with last tour at 4pm. Grounds open year-round.