National Register of Historic Places

Whidden-Ward House

Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
Listed
November 5, 1971
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
71000077

About this property

The Whidden-Ward House is a historic house at 411 High Street in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Probably built in the late 1720s, it is a well-preserved example of Georgian architecture. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The Whidden Ward House is located on the southwest side of High Street, southeast of its junction with Deer Street. It is located in an area known as The Hill, a cluster of historic properties south of Deer Street which was created as part of a road widening project. It is a 2+1⁄2-story L-shaped wood-frame structure, with a gabled and hipped roof and clapboarded exterior. A single brick chimney is located at one end. Its main facade is five bays wide, with a center entrance flanked by pilasters and topped by a four-light transom and a pedimented gable. The first-floor windows are topped by gables. The interior has a particularly fine carved Georgian staircase, with an arched window at the landing. The house is thought to have been built in the early 1720s by Michael Whidden, a joiner, and was originally located on Deer Street, an area that was platted for development in 1712. After his death in 1773 the house was purchased by Nathum Ward, who extensively renovated the property, giving it most of its surviving late-Georgian appearance. The only major addition to the house was a 19th-century leanto extension to the rear. The building was moved to its present location in the 1970s, and is now in commercial use. National Register of Historic Places listings in Rockingham County, New Hampshire

Location

Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
43.07870, -70.76089

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

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Smith, Simeon P., House
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Pinkham, Daniel, House
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Questions about this property

When was Whidden-Ward House listed on the National Register?

Whidden-Ward House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 5, 1971.

What type of historic resource is Whidden-Ward House?

Whidden-Ward House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Whidden-Ward House?

The period of significance for Whidden-Ward House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Whidden-Ward House?

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