William coolidge mansion portsmouth

  • Wentworth–Coolidge Mansion is a 40-room clapboard house which was built as the home, offices and working farm of colonial Governor Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire.
  • It is located on the water at 375 Little Harbor Road, about two miles southeast of the center of Portsmouth.
  • They made the mansion a hospitable social center and entertained George Washington when he visited Portsmouth in 1789.

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    Last accessed: February 21, 2025.

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    1753 and later, from earlier 18th century building frames. 375 Little Harbor Rd.

    • (Photograph by James L. Garvin)

    • (Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division)

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    Writing Credits

    Author: 

    James L. Garvin

    Coordinator: 

    Bryant F. Tolles Jr. and James L. Garvin

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    Wentworth Coolidge Mansion Historic Site

    The Mansion reflects five distinct periods of architecture. The extraordinary skill of New Hampshire's eighteenth century craftsmen is exhibited in the intricate hand-carved mantelpiece. The council chamber and the spy closet reveal details about daglig life and government during the colonial period. Purple lilacs, descendants of the first europeisk stock imported by Wentworth, decorate the grounds. Its stateliness and impressive interior and furnishings reflect aristocratic life in Portsmouth in the 1700s.

    Guests can visit the Coolidge Visitor Center, located on the grounds. The grounds and the Visitor Center are available to rent for events and meetings. Picnicking on the grounds is welcomed; however, pets are prohibited. Restrooms are available in the carriage house.

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    Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion

    Date: [unknown] [unknown]
    Location: Portsmouth, Rockingham, Massachusetts, United States

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    Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion

    Contact information

    375 Little Harbor Road
    Portsmouth, NH 03801
    603-436-6607
    info@wentworthcoolidge.org
    Grounds: Open daily, dawn to dusk
    Mansion Tours (May-October): W-Su 10am - 4pm, on the hour, last tour at 3pm
    Web address: http://wentworthcoolidge.org/

    History / Ownership

    Major John Wentworth (1750-1759)

    • John Wentworth was the son of Benning Wentworth, who had been appointed royal governor of the province of New Hampshire that was separated from the Province of Massachusetts Bay in 1741. [1]
      • In 1753 Benning Wentworth petitioned the legislature to purchase the building where he had been renting in Portsmouth. He would move into the house in Little Harbor until the remodel was complete. [1]
    • A rural property on the outskirts of Portsmouth, New Hampshire on a back c
    • william coolidge mansion portsmouth