Reuben Foster House and Perley Cleaves House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Reuben Foster House and Cleaves
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The Foster house is on the left, the Cleaves house on the right
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | 64 and 62 N. State St., Concord, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 0.4 acres (0.16 ha) |
| Built | 1848 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 82001690 |
| Added to NRHP | March 15, 1982 |
The Reuben Foster House and the Perley Cleaves House are two very similar homes in Concord, New Hampshire. They are located at 64 and 62 North State Street. These houses were built between 1848 and 1850. They are great examples of a building style called Greek Revival. This style was popular in the 1800s and looks like ancient Greek temples.
These houses have not changed much over the years. Because of their special history and design, they were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The Cleaves House is also important because Mary Baker Eddy once lived there. Today, it is a historic house museum where people can visit and learn about the past.
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What Makes These Houses Special?
The Reuben Foster and Perley Cleaves Houses are found just north of downtown Concord. They are on the east side of North State Street, where it meets Court Street. These two homes were built as investments. This means someone built them hoping to make money from them later. Their basic designs are mirror images of each other.
How Do They Look?
Each house is a two-and-a-half-story building made of wood. They each have a main rectangular part and a section that sticks out to the side. The front of each house has a triangle-shaped gable. This gable is held up by three tall, round columns. These columns are called Doric columns. There is also a porch on the second floor.
The main front door of each house has tall, narrow windows on both sides. These are called sidelight windows. They are next to flat, decorative columns called pilasters.
Differences Between the Houses
The Foster house has an extra part built between its main section and the side part. This addition includes a window that sticks out, called a bay window. The Cleaves house has more decorations. Its roof edge, called the cornice, is deeper. It also has small decorative supports called brackets. The Cleaves house has a round window in its gable. The Foster house has a rectangular window with a round, fan-shaped decoration above it.
Who Lived in These Homes?
These two houses are among the best examples of Greek Revival style in New Hampshire. The northern house first belonged to Reuben Foster. His family owned it until 1938. They made only a few small changes, like adding the bay windows. Today, this house holds offices for different businesses.
The Cleaves House has had more owners. One owner was Matthew Harvey, who was a Governor of New Hampshire. Another famous owner was Mary Baker Eddy. She was the founder of the First Church of Christ, Scientist. In 1988, the Longyear Museum bought the Cleaves House. This museum focuses on Mary Baker Eddy's life. They have made the house look just like it did when she lived there, from 1889 to 1892.
Images for kids
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The Foster house is on the left, the Cleaves house on the right
