New Hampshire
Recent Articles
Lewis Cass House
A plaque commemorating Lewis Cass connects this Exeter house with a statesman whose career reached across the expanding United States. Born in Exeter on October 9, 1782, Cass attended Phillips Exeter Academy before leaving New England. He became a territorial governor, cabinet secretary, diplomat, senator, and presidential candidate. Cass established a legal career in Ohio […]
Gilman Garrison House
Built in 1709 near the Squamscott River, the Gilman Garrison House preserves an unusual combination of fortified construction, Georgian domestic rooms, and later commercial uses. Its history connects Exeter’s early water-powered economy with generations of residents who adapted the building to support their livelihoods. The Gilman family owned profitable sawmills along the river. Their fortified […]
Ladd-Gilman House
Standing on a rise above the Squamscott River, the Ladd-Gilman House brings together the history of an Exeter family and the formation of a new state government. Behind its yellow clapboards is an early brick dwelling built around 1721 by Nathaniel Ladd. Daniel Gilman, a prominent Exeter merchant, purchased the property in 1747, beginning the […]
John Hay’s Estate
Marty and I will often head out for a day simply to explore a new town, an old house, or a place we have never visited before. One of those trips into New Hampshire led us to The Fells, the beautiful summer estate of John Hay overlooking Lake Sunapee in Newbury. John Milton Hay had […]
Folsom Tavern
One of the things I enjoy discovering is that many of the most important homes in American history were also places of business. The Folsom Tavern in Exeter is one of those places. Built around 1775 as the home of Colonel Samuel Folsom and his family, it also served as the community’s tavern, where travelers […]
Robert Frost Homestead
By the time Robert Frost arrived in Derry, New Hampshire, in the fall of 1900, he was thirty-six years old, married to his college sweetheart Elinor, and searching for a life that would allow him to write while providing for his growing family. His grandfather purchased this thirty-acre farm, believing that the rhythm of farming […]
Governor John Langson House
The Governor John Langdon House in Portsmouth, New Hampshire is one of the finest surviving examples of Georgian architecture in New England and a powerful reminder of the city’s importance during the early years of the American republic. Built in 1784, this elegant mansion was the home of John Langdon, a merchant, shipbuilder, Revolutionary War leader, […]
Pierce Manse
The Pierce Manse, in Concord, NH, is the home most closely associated with Franklin Pierce during his adult life. Built in 1838, this was the house Pierce returned to after his years in Washington. It was here that he lived before, during, and after his presidency, a place that remained constant through both his rise and the challenges […]
The Frost Place
This summer, we visited The Frost Place in Franconia, New Hampshire, the hillside farmhouse where Robert Frost lived with his family from 1915 to 1920. Standing on the front porch, the view looking towards the White Mountains is spectacular. This is the home when Frost’s career was beginning to rise. When Frost moved to Franconia in 1915, […]
