Roseland Cottage

Roseland Cottage is a National Historic Landmark in Woodstock, Connecticut, managed by Historic New England. Built in 1846 for New York merchant and publisher Henry Bowen, the Gothic Revival estate is instantly recognizable by its bright pink board-and-batten exterior, steep gabled rooflines, and ornamental bargeboards — considered one of the best-preserved examples of the style in the country. The grounds reflect the same Victorian ambition as the house itself. A boxwood parterre garden, designed in the 1850s, contains 21 flowerbeds with more than 4,000 annuals. The carriage barn shelters the oldest surviving indoor bowling alley in the nation, a reminder that Bowen used Roseland Cottage to entertain on a grand scale — four U.S. presidents among them. From May through October, the Carriage House and south lawn are available for private events including weddings, corporate gatherings, and celebrations. The rental includes kitchen facilities, tables and chairs, and two accessible restrooms, all set against grounds that have hosted guests since the age of Ulysses S. Grant.