John Paul Jones House facts for kids
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John Paul Jones House
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | Portsmouth, New Hampshire |
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| Built | 1758 |
| Architect | Capt. Gregory Purcell |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000084 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 28, 1972 |
| Designated NHL | November 28, 1972 |
The John Paul Jones House is a special old building in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It's now a historic house museum, which means you can visit it to learn about the past. This house is also a National Historic Landmark, showing how important it is to American history.
A famous naval hero from the American Revolutionary War, John Paul Jones, lived here. He stayed in this house from 1781 to 1782. At that time, it was a boarding house, a bit like a hotel. He also had another home in Fredericksburg, Virginia, owned by his brother.
History of the John Paul Jones House
This historic house was built in 1758. It has two and a half stories and is made of wood. A skilled builder named Hopestill Cheswell built it. He was a successful African-American housewright, which is a person who designs and builds houses.
The house was built for Captain Gregory Purcell and his wife, Sarah. They owned it until Captain Purcell passed away in 1776.
After Captain Purcell's death, his wife, Sarah, started taking in boarders. These were people who paid to rent a room in her house. John Paul Jones rented a room here between 1781 and 1782. During this time, he was overseeing the building of a ship called the America. Sarah Purcell continued to run the boarding house until she passed away in 1783.
The house was officially recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1972. This means it's a place of great historical importance to the United States.
Exploring the House Today
The John Paul Jones House is two and a half stories tall. It has a special roof called a gambrel roof and two chimneys. A two-story part was added to the house in the early 1800s.
The front of the house has five sections with windows and a main entrance in the middle. The entrance has a curved arch above it. The windows on the first floor have triangular decorations above them.
Inside, the house has a common layout for its time. There's a central hallway with stairs. Rooms are on both sides of this hall. On one side, there's a living room at the front and an office at the back. On the other side, there's a large dining room. The kitchen was originally behind the dining room.
Upstairs, there are four bedrooms. John Paul Jones's room was in the corner facing the southeast. The third floor of the house has five more bedrooms.
Today, the rooms downstairs are used for museum exhibits. The dining room has been decorated to look like it did in the early 1800s. The Portsmouth Historical Society has owned the house since 1919. You can visit it to learn more about its history and John Paul Jones!
See also
- John Paul Jones Cottage Museum, the birthplace of John Paul Jones in Scotland
- List of National Historic Landmarks in New Hampshire
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Rockingham County, New Hampshire
