Sacrifice of Abraham at Warner House

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Historic Portsmouth #352  

Perhaps the most amazing features of any historic Portsmouth house are the painted walls in the entry way of the Warner House on Daniel Street. Owner Archibald Macphaedris had them painted just a few years after the sturdy brick house was built, likely creating them between 1718 and 1720.  (Continued below with photos)

 

The images include a woman with a flax wheel, a dog barking, an eagle with a chicken in its talons, two Mohawk Indians, and a gentleman on horseback, plus the scene shown here. This mural, here being restored in the 1940s, shows the story of “The Sacrifice of Abraham.” It matches almost perfectly an illustration in an early 1610 Dutch Bible, and may be the work of Nehemiah Partridge (1683-1737) who was born in Portsmouth. The Warner House is the earliest surviving brick urban mansion in New England and these are the earliest murals. The house also features fascinating textiles, furniture, portraits, wall paneling, and much more. The Warner House opens for visitors in June.  (Courtesy Portsmouth Athenaeum)  

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