FRESH STUFF DAILY
Seacoast New Hampshire
& South Coast Maine
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
|
|
| |
|
|
|
f08
viagra with no prescription online pharmacy to buy phentermine canadian pharmacy canada pharmacy no prescription propecia without prescription viagra for sale online drugs from canada Levitra 10 mg canadian levitra viagra for sale Male Enhancement Cialis viagra from canda cialis canada levitra without a prescription canadian pharmacy no prescription cialis generic cialis online canada viagra prescription viagra viagra with no prescription pharmacy canada buy 5mg propecia usa canadian pharmacy no prescription vigara viagra in canada viagracanadianpharmacy cialis generic no prescription online pharmacy viagra canada pharmacy
0
|
How the Coolidge Family of Boston Saved Wentworth Mansion
|
 |
 |
|
Written by J. Dennis Robinson
|
|
Page 1 of 3  HISTORY MATTERS
Great historic moments come and go quickly. But historic houses live on. This is the story of a genteel Boston family that moved into the rambling mansion of New Hampshire’s royal governor. Their lives – and their talented and influential friends – fostered the city’s arts community that thrives today.
Without rich people from out of town there would be no historic Portsmouth. In almost every case, the restored, colonial house museums that give this city its character and "open door" cache were gifted to us by wealthy summer visitors in the 20th century. Some, like the Langdons and the Wendells, had Portsmouth roots. Others like antiquarian Wallace Nutting, preservationist William Sumner Appleton, and artist John Templeman Coolidge III were drawn from Massachusetts to the scenery, the history, and the architecture of dilapidated Portsmouth mansions.
Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth had been dead and buried in St. John’s cemetery for more than a century when the Coolidge family bought his Little Harbor mansion in 1886. J. Templeton Coolidge came from well-to-do, socially prominent Boston stock. After graduating from Harvard with a fine arts degree in 1879, he refined his oil painting talents in Paris. His wife Katherine Parkman was the daughter of renowned history writer Francis Parkman, also of a wealthy Boston clan.
Frozen in time
Like most historic houses, we tend to think of the rambling Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion as empty architecture frozen in time. Beautifully situated on Little Harbor, it is forever linked to its elderly aristocratic owner who married his housekeeper who was 40 years his junior. Their May-December romance is the subject of an historically inaccurate poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Wentworth, appointed by King George II was a powerful figure and shaped both NH and Vermont history.
There is no Georgian mansion like it anywhere in America. Assembled from four or five 18th century building frames, the 40-or-so surviving rooms are all different. NH state historian James Garvin calls it "a rambling, somewhat incoherent mass of architecture". The mansion served as a country gentleman’s farm and the colonial seat of New Hampshire before the Revolution. The original governor’s council – mostly the governor’s relatives – met here in a large room where Benning flaunted his wealth. The governor’s council still meets here symbolically every year or two and the building is now owned by the state.
We forget, however, that historic houses have many lives. Between the Wentworths and the Coolidges, William Cushing ran the property as a farm. His nephew William Israel inherited the property that slowly fell into decline. Israel, who is inevitably described as "eccentric", was known to give tours of the old governor’s mansion to anyone who asked. According to Garvin, with the exception of George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon, these historic tours beginning in the 1840s were among the first in the nation.
CONTINUED NEXT PAGE
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 Next > End >>
|
Please visit these SeacoastNH.com ad partners.
Portsmouth Herald
|
Portsmouth Herald Latest Headlines
|
| Portsmouth Herald News from SeacoastOnline.com |
-
UNH hockey powers past Terriers
DURHAM — The play of the University of New Hampshire men's hockey team special teams looked, well, special, Friday night against Boston University.
-
NFL's premier corner Revis mans up on Moss again
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Darrelle Revis has heard enough about his last matchup with Randy Moss. The New York Jets cornerback just wants to move on to the next one.
-
Father-son coaches creating legacy with Winnacunnet football
HAMPTON — If nothing else, Winnacunnet High School has proven that two Steve Magris are better than one when it comes to coaching football.
-
Bergeron wins it for B's in OT
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Patrice Bergeron scored with 47 seconds left in overtime, lifting the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.
-
Emotional home finale for UNH football
DURHAM — One year ago this week, University of New Hampshire strong safety Terrence Klein intercepted two late passes to preserve a snowy 28-24 win at Maine, more proof that...
-
Carter, Magic drop Celtics
BOSTON — Vince Carter scored 26 points, Rashard Lewis had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic beat the Boston Celtics 83-78 on Friday night.
-
Portsmouth says stimulus jobs overstated by White House
PORTSMOUTH — While federal stimulus dollars flowing into the city may help both causes and the economy, at least one local project echoes concerns expressed nationwide about the accuracy of...
-
Joseph Popluhar
TAMPA, Fla. — Mr. Joseph Popluhar, 71, of Tampa, formerly of Portsmouth, N.H., beloved husband of Marjorie (Hunt) Popluhar, died Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009, in Florida.
-
Turkey Trot 5K in Portsmouth on Thanksgiving morning
PORTSMOUTH — Thanksgiving is one of the most charitable times of the year. If you're in the giving mood, why not get a little exercise, too?
-
Marshwood Middle School parents told 58 of 60 kids accepted unknown Facebook friend
ELIOT, Maine — Marshwood Middle School parents were shocked to learn from Internet expert Jayne Hitchcock Thursday evening that 58 of 60 middle school honors students accepted her as a...
-
Newington tax rate drops, but selectman chides state lawmakers
NEWINGTON — Town taxpayers will pay a lower tax rate for 2009, but the chairman of the Board of Selectmen announced the good news with some concerns for state politicians.
-
Memorial Bridge re-opens
PORTSMOUTH — The Memorial Bridge reopened ahead of schedule on Friday following a month of repairs that forced motorists to seek alternative routes between the city and Kittery, Maine.
-
Bakers bustling for Sunday's pie festival
GREENLAND — Judy Alix laughed excitedly. "Thirty made, only 470 more to go!" she exclaimed.
-
3-car crash on Woodbury Ave.
PORTSMOUTH — A three-car, chain-reaction crash snarled lunch hour traffic Friday on Woodbury Avenue and sent a Maine man to Portsmouth Regional Hospital.
-
Thumbs up to preservation, determination
Thumbs up to the heirs of Mary McIntire Davis for selling a 239-acre parcel of salt marsh and forest along the York River to the York Land Trust ,and to...
-
John R. Genthner
HAMPTON FALLS — John Richard Genthner, born Jan. 28, 1943, in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, died peacefully Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, after a long illness. He was surrounded by...
-
Runner's Alley helps racer achieve her goals
I would like to thank Janine and the staff at Runner's Alley for their great work in this community. Their contribution, enthusiasm and encouragement are a shining example of what...
-
New Generation raises $10,000 with golf tourney
The New Generation Golf tournament was held at Breakfast Hill Golf Club. With the help of all those who supported it, we made more than $10,000.
-
Memorial is a N.H. bridge; Herald must act to save it
Sitting a couple of hundred miles up the Maine coast, there isn't anyone who knows or cares about our bridge. They've got their own big-time problems that aren't getting fixed.
-
Robert F. Pucciarelli
WELLS, Maine — Robert Francis "Bob" Pucciarelli, 83, of Wells, formerly of Medway, Mass., died early Thursday morning, Nov. 19, 2009.
|
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, November 21, 2009 |
|
|
|
