Watercolor

Warner House

Mid to late 19th century / Foster, Sarah Haven (1827-1900)

VP017_WarnerHouse_6in.jpg

"This is the oldest edifice of brick in Portsmouth. It was built in 1718-23, at an expense of 6,000 pounds, by Capt. Archibald Macpheadris, a rich merchant and member of the King’s Council. He married a daughter of the first Governor Wentworth, and died in 1729. The huge elk antlers that still hand in the hall were given to Capt. Macpheadris by his friends the Indians. His daughter Mary married Jonathan Warner in 1754, and from the latter the house takes its name. Mrs. Warner was also a member of the Royal Council until the Revolution. He lived here until a good old age, but leaving no children the house passed into possession of his great-nephew, Col. John N. Sherburne, a cousin of Judge Sherburne.

"The brick for the construction of this house was brought from Scotland—the original bills for the materials are still in possession of the family. It is an elegant specimen of the architecture of the last century, and is rich in memorials of old times. The frescoes in the great hall are by the hand of an unknown artist; and having been papered over, were forgotten for generations, being accidentally discovered about forty years ago. The lightning rod, probably from the front door, at the corner of Sheafe and Chapel streets, stood formerly adjacent to the mansion, being the slave quarters."

Excerpted from The Portsmouth Guide Book, 1896, by Sarah Haven Foster.

Inscription reads, "Warner House, Daniel St., 1718."

~ Foster, Sarah Haven (1827-1900), “Warner House,” Portsmouth Public Library's Online Archives, accessed March 29, 2024, https://portsmouthexhibits.org/items/show/859.

Full Item Record

Dublin Core

Title

Warner House

Subject

Portsmouth (N.H.)
Historic buildings
Watercolors (paintings)

Description

"This is the oldest edifice of brick in Portsmouth. It was built in 1718-23, at an expense of 6,000 pounds, by Capt. Archibald Macpheadris, a rich merchant and member of the King’s Council. He married a daughter of the first Governor Wentworth, and died in 1729. The huge elk antlers that still hand in the hall were given to Capt. Macpheadris by his friends the Indians. His daughter Mary married Jonathan Warner in 1754, and from the latter the house takes its name. Mrs. Warner was also a member of the Royal Council until the Revolution. He lived here until a good old age, but leaving no children the house passed into possession of his great-nephew, Col. John N. Sherburne, a cousin of Judge Sherburne.

"The brick for the construction of this house was brought from Scotland—the original bills for the materials are still in possession of the family. It is an elegant specimen of the architecture of the last century, and is rich in memorials of old times. The frescoes in the great hall are by the hand of an unknown artist; and having been papered over, were forgotten for generations, being accidentally discovered about forty years ago. The lightning rod, probably from the front door, at the corner of Sheafe and Chapel streets, stood formerly adjacent to the mansion, being the slave quarters."

Excerpted from The Portsmouth Guide Book, 1896, by Sarah Haven Foster.

Inscription reads, "Warner House, Daniel St., 1718."

Creator

Foster, Sarah Haven (1827-1900)

Source

Sarah Haven Foster Views of Portsmouth

Publisher

Portsmouth Public Library, Special Collections

Date

Mid to late 19th century

Format

Jpg derived from Tif

Language

eng

Type

StillImage

Identifier

PPL-AA1989.60.17

Watercolor Item Type Metadata

Provenance

Gift of Mary A. Foster, 1901