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John Paul Jones House
Photo courtesy of
Photo courtesy of Ralph Morang..
Built in 1758 by Sarah and Gregory Purcell, this yellow gambrel-roofed colonial is one of American's most famous. That's because, legend says, John Paul Jones lodged here in 1777 while preparing to raid England in the sloop of war RANGER. He returned in 1781-2 while outfitting the nation's first ship of the line AMERICA. Once owned by Revolutionary era judge Woodbury Langdon, the house has been maintained by the Portsmouth Historical Society since it was saved from demolition in 1920. An hourly guided tour brings visitors from the era of British rule, through the Revolution to the 19th century. Artifacts donated by Portsmouth families flesh out the history of this important New England seaport. Annual events include a lecture series and performances in the beautiful gardens surrounded by an ornamented replica of the oldest known wooden fence in the region. The house collection includes period clothing, ceramics, Portsmuth furniture, portraits, household items and curios. Memberships available. See also Ranger Monument in Kittery, ME.
HOURS: Open June 1 - mid-October, 10-4 pm, Sun 12-4. Closed Tues & Wed.
WEBSITE: http://www.portsmouthhistory.org
ADMISSION: $5 adults, $2.50 children 6-14
PHONE: 603-436-8420
ADDRESS: 43 Middle Street, PO Box 728 Portsmouth, NH 03802 Portsmouth, NH 03802
DIRECTIONS: Just a few block up Congress St from Market Square. Turn left onto Middle St. at the intersection of Islington, and the house is across from the Portsmouth Pubic Library.
LINKS:
John Paul Jones Web Site,
History of the JPJ House,
Listing sponsored by
SeacoastNH.com,
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