Hamilton House (South Berwick, Maine) facts for kids
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Hamilton House
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Hamilton House in 2014
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 40 Vaughan's Lane, South Berwick, Maine |
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| Built | 1787 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000082 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 30, 1970 |
| Designated NHL | December 30, 1970 |
The Hamilton House is a really old and important house in South Berwick, Maine. It was built a long time ago, between 1787 and 1788. A rich merchant from Portsmouth, New Hampshire named Jonathan Hamilton built it.
This house is special because it's a National Historic Landmark. It's a great example of a Georgian-style country house that hasn't changed much over the years. Today, the Hamilton House is a historic house museum. It's owned by Historic New England and you can visit it for tours from June to October.
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About the Hamilton House
The Hamilton House sits on about 50 acres of land. It looks out over the Salmon Falls River. This river is the border between South Berwick and Rollinsford, New Hampshire.
The house is a large, two-and-a-half-story building made of wood. It has a sloped roof and four brick chimneys. There are also windows that stick out from the roof on all sides. The house has doors on its north, south, and east sides. Each door has fancy columns and a triangular top. The north door is the fanciest, with extra windows on the sides.
Inside the House
When you go inside, you'll find a wide hallway in the middle. The wallpaper in this hall is a copy of very old wallpaper found in the house. The living rooms and dining room have special window seats made of mahogany. They also have fancy wood panels around the fireplaces. The dining room and one of the living rooms have wallpaper painted in 1900 by an artist named George Porter Fernald.
History of the Hamilton House
In 1783, Jonathan Hamilton bought the land for the house. He was a merchant who made a lot of money during the American Revolutionary War. He earned money from privateering, which was like being a legal pirate, capturing enemy ships. The land was perfect for bringing goods from his merchant ships.
The house he built was the most valuable in South Berwick at the time. Jonathan Hamilton passed away in 1802. The property was sold out of his family in 1815. For most of the 1800s, the Goodwin family owned it. They used the land as a farm, and the grand house started to get old and worn down.
Saving the House
In 1898, the Goodwin family decided to sell the property. A famous local author named Sarah Orne Jewett heard about it. She convinced her friends, Emily Tyson and her stepdaughter Elise, to buy the house. They wanted to save it and make it beautiful again. This was part of a popular trend called the Colonial Revival.
The Tysons didn't change the house much inside. They fixed some parts and brought back the old wallpaper in the main hall. Their biggest changes were outside. They built a lovely garden and a small cottage. The cottage is now used as a visitor center for guests.
After Elise Tyson Vaughan passed away in 1949, the house was given to the Society for Preservation of New England Antiquities. This group is now called Historic New England. They now run the house as a museum.
National Recognition
The Hamilton House was named a National Historic Landmark in 1970. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places that same year. Some people believe the Hamilton House was the setting for a historical romance novel by Sarah Orne Jewett called The Tory Lover.
In 2020, Historic New England received a grant of $165,000. This money came from the Save America's Treasures program. It will help pay for important repairs to the house. Historic New England also started a campaign to raise more money for these repairs.
Other Places to See
- Sarah Orne Jewett House, another historic house owned by Historic New England in South Berwick
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Maine
- National Register of Historic Places listings in York County, Maine
