The Girl Who Saved Warner House |
SeacoastNH.com Presents
Historic
This column recently offered a photograph of little Barrett Wendell (1855-1921) with cape, cane, and feathered hat. The often-photographed Mr. Wendell can also be seen in the Portsmouth Athenaeum archive posing as a boy in short pants studiously reading a book while leaning on a pedestal. Prophetically, Barrett went on to become a celebrated professor of English Literature at Harvard. (Continued below)
Though born in
READER RESPONSE
I enjoyed your segment of Thursday's paper, "The Girl who Saved Warner House". My grandmother, who was also a summer resident, Mrs. A. D. Hill, was a great friend to Edith Wendell and her husband...and was devoted to the Warner House. I believe, due to her friendship with the Wendell's, she was once on the board of the house. She also gave a magnificent piece of furniture, (a secretary) which was located in one of the second floor bedrooms, the last time I was in the house. I think she and my grandfather inherited the piece from his mother, at her death. As a child, not unlike my other family members, I used to color at the desk.
At one time, it had gold leaf angels on the front, but they had been removed, but kept by the house. Also, at one time, someone from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in NYC, had told my grandparents that the angel figures were probably added after the piece was in existence. As a "thanks" for donating the secretary, my grandmother was presented with a framed lithograph of the Warner House. All locals, my family bought the house in
John Hill,
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