MacPheadris–Warner House facts for kids
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Warner House
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | 150 Daniel Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire |
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| Built | 1716–1718 |
| Architect | John Drew |
| Architectural style | Early Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000028 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | October 9, 1960 |
The Warner House is a really old and important house in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It was built between 1716 and 1718. This house is special because it's the oldest brick house in a city in northern New England. It's also a great example of early Georgian style. In 1960, it was named a National Historic Landmark, which means it's a very important historical place in the United States. Today, you can visit it as a museum!
The Warner House is a two-and-a-half-story building made of brick. Its walls are about 15 inches (38 cm) thick. The bricks are laid in a special pattern called Flemish bond. A decorative band, called a belt course, separates the first and second floors. The roof is a gambrel roof, which means it has two different slopes on each side. There's also a small tower on top called a cupola. Inside, the house has a common layout for its time, with four main rooms. There's also a kitchen wing added to the back. The walls in the main hall and staircase are decorated with old paintings. These are some of the oldest wall murals by English-speaking artists in the entire country!
The house was built for Captain Archibald Macpheadris. He was a sea captain from Scotland and Ireland who settled in Portsmouth. Captain Macpheadris married Sarah Wentworth. Her father was John Wentworth (Lieutenant-Governor), a very important leader in the area. Captain Macpheadris passed away in 1729. After that, the house belonged to his wife and children.
The Governor's Home
In 1737, Sarah Wentworth Macpheadris married George Jaffrey. He was a rich merchant in Portsmouth and a business friend of her first husband. Sarah and her 14-year-old daughter, Mary, moved to the Jaffrey Mansion. This house was just a few doors down Daniel Street.
Sarah's brother, Benning Wentworth, then lived in the Warner House. He was the Royal Governor of the Province of New Hampshire. Governor Wentworth used the Warner House as his official home for almost 20 years. Later, he moved to his country estate, which is now called the Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion. It's said that he left some broken windows at the Warner House and never paid his sister rent!
The Warner Family's Home
Mary Macpheadris Osborne was Captain Macpheadris's only child who lived to adulthood. In 1760, Mary, who was recently widowed, married Jonathan Warner. He was a merchant from Portsmouth. Jonathan Warner brought his eleven-year-old daughter, Mary "Polly" Warner, to live in the house.
The house was updated to fit Jonathan Warner's stylish tastes. The Warner family and their descendants lived in the house until 1932. From the 1880s to the late 1920s, the family used the Warner House as a summer vacation home.
Saving the Warner House
In the early 1930s, the Warner House was put up for sale. An oil company wanted to buy the land to build a gas station. This meant the historic house would be torn down! A group of local people who cared about history decided to save it. Edith Greenough Wendell led this group.
In 1931, they created the Warner House Association. Even though it was during the Great Depression, a very tough economic time, the Association did something amazing. They raised $10,000 to buy the house in March 1932. Just a few months later, the historic house museum opened to the public. At first, it had very little furniture. Over time, many of the original family belongings have been returned to the house.
Today, the Association shares the story of the house from its very first days. They also tell about its time as a private home and how it became a museum.
See also
- List of the oldest buildings in New Hampshire
- List of National Historic Landmarks in New Hampshire
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Rockingham County, New Hampshire
