An Early American Metropolis
white pine The
series of
architectural monographs volume xxviii number one
Portsmouth, New Hampshire An Early American Metropolis Through the Lens of 1921 & 2009
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% Rich Beginnings 5
% The Piscataqua: Mighty Purveyor of Eastern White Pine 5 % Building a House: An Ever Changing Science 5
% The Three-Story Colonial: Architectural Celebrity of Portsmouth 5 1 % The Bellamy Eagle: A White Pine Collectable 5 % Strawbery Banke: Salvaging MA Colonial Neighborhood 5
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Š NELMA 2009 Cumberland, Maine
an architectural
monograph
Portsmouth, New Hampshire An Early American Metropolis Through the lens of 1921 & 2009 Prepared for Publication by Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association 272 Tuttle Road Cumberland, ME 04021 Š 2009
Original 1921 issue of The White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs that explored Portsmouth, NH
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An Early American Metropolis
The
white pine series of
architectural monographs A publication suggesting the architectural uses of eastern white pine and its availability today.
(8 volume xxviii number one (8 +
Rich Beginnings When one speaks of the lovely seaside city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, surely the splendid Piscataqua River must be mentioned. Deep and well protected, the Piscataqua is not only home to one of the oldest working ports in the United States, but originally served as the closest year-round, ice-free port for European traders and settlers.
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n 1767 the Crown of England appointed the last royal governor of the colony of New Hampshire, John Wentworth, and by 1790 the lumber and marine industries of the region made Portsmouth the 14th largest city in the country. In fact, the February 1921 volume of the original White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs referred to 19th century Portsmouth as “an early American metropolis.” Alas, eventual technological advances such as the steamboat and the railway system curtailed Portsmouth’s growth, but not its white pine character. Portsmouth’s history is as rich as its once bustling shipping industry. Originally settled as Piscataqua, the abundance of wild strawberries growing beside the river inspired a renaming to Strawbery Banke. At the town’s incorporation in 1653, the name Portsmouth was adopted in honor of the colony’s founder, John Mason. He had been captain of the port of Portsmouth, England, in the county of Hampshire, for which New Hampshire is named. In 1679, Portsmouth 1
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Chief among Portsmouth’s attractions was, and still is, its architecture and use of Eastern White Pine.
became the capital of the New Hampshire colony and retained this title until the Revolutionary War. Portsmouth lost its seat as capital for fear that it was open to attack-by-sea, even though well guarded by forts. However, this was not the end of Portsmouth’s role in history. In the following centuries the city saw war-ending treaties signed, naval fleets built, and visits from such dignitaries as a newly inaugurated George Washington, Paul Revere, John Paul Jones, and Daniel Webster. Through the years, prosperity from shipping and fishing industries established Portsmouth’s wealth, as well as its refined, yet unostentatious reputation as a fine New England city to visit and dwell amongst gentility. Chief among Portsmouth’s attractions was, and still is, its architecture and use of Eastern White Pine. To this day, significant examples of Colonial, Georgian, and Federal style houses dot downtown Portsmouth like sprinkles on ice cream. While some 19th century fires led to a demand for more Federalist brick-built stores and townhouses, a handful of white pine wood-framed mansions and cottages still draw architectural experts, students, and tourists to view some the finest representations of old-world craftsmanship left in America. /
1920’s map of Portsmouth — Courtesy of Grace Galleries, Inc. Harpswell, ME www.gracegalleries.com 2
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+ The Piscataqua:
Mighty Purveyor of Eastern White Pine As mentioned, 1921 witnessed an acknowledgement of Portsmouth’s greatest legacy—its architecture. It was that year in which the White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs sent Electus D. Litchfield to research and write an entire volume’s worth of reflection on the ‘ancient metropolis’ and its ‘quiet…romantic character.’ Limited are Litchfield’s specific references to Eastern White Pine, but one assumes when reading the faded document that nearly every structure mentioned must have incorporated hundreds of board feet of white pine in various capacities. We can infer this because of the renowned sylvan history of the Piscataqua region and its longstanding relationship with the endless forests of white pine surrounding it. Confirming this, John Schnitzler, a restoration carpenter of 30 years for The Strawbery Banke Museum claims, “In the early days, the entire place—every part of every building—was made of Eastern White Pine. Why? Because it was so abundant. Portsmouth was the capital of the world for white pine in the 18th and 19th centuries.” As early as the 1630s, water-powered sawmills sparked new industries for the inhabitants of northern New England. Pine forestation, milling, and shipping sprouted primarily where water sources aided in the harvesting, manufacturing, and transportation of a seemingly endless supply. Coincidently, Eastern White Pine became the common material in most facets of building, including framing, wall and roof sheathing, clapboard and shingle siding, and interior finish molding. By 1718, almost one million board feet of Eastern White Pine were being shipped from the port of Piscataqua. Within 50 years, that number grew to nearly 14 million. To boot, by 1775, 42 million white pine shingles were exported from the area.
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In those days, three discernable grades of white pine were being manufactured, used in early settlement structures, and shipped as far as the West Indies and Britain. ‘Clear’ pine had straight square edges and was free of knots and defects. Finish carpenters, or ‘joiners,’ often used clear pine for visible finish work. ‘Merchantable’ pine maintained straight, square edges, but had minor knots. This grade was used for general framing construction, and could be seen in houses with exposed beams and rafters. The third grade was “Refuse.” Rough, hidden construction, such as sub-flooring, would be made from cuts of this grade. Often, when old houses are demolished, the quality of construction and the talent of the builders can be gauged by which grade of pine was used for what purpose. Even though it was desirable to have the straightest boards determine the flatness of the clapboards or shingles on the exterior of the house, it was not uncommon, especially in the 18th century, to cut corners and use refuse-grade white pine for sheathing.
By 1718, almost one million board feet of Eastern White Pine were being shipped from the port of Piscataqua.
Choosing the species of wood used for a particular material often came down to geographic location. As a general rule, use of Eastern White Pine was more common to northern New England (New Hampshire and Maine), while builders south of the Merrimack River typically used oak and cedar. In some instances, mainly in western regions of New England, spruce was substituted for white pine. That is not to say builders and architects didn’t mix it up from time to time, as all species were available in some capacity. For instance, when a Massachusetts builder needed to combine continuous length with strength for framing long wall plates, he would use white pine. Vice versa, when a New Hampshire builder needed pure, stout strength for posts, he might select oak. One thing is clear—Eastern White Pine from the Piscataqua region was a boon to the colonies, bolstering Portsmouth’s future wealth and prosperity. /
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+ Building a House: An Ever Changing Science It wasn’t until the late 18th century that a change over to sawn framing revolutionized New England architecture. The oldest surviving white pine wood frame house in northern New England is the Jackson House in Portsmouth. Dated to about 1664, the Jackson House is an example of Plank House architecture. Instead of logs or stud framing, thick vertical white pine planks span from sill to plate, becoming, in essence, both the framing and sheathing of the wall. Often, siding (also white pine) was added horizontally to the planking, providing more strength and serving as a weather barrier. Originally culled from the white pine forests of the Piscataqua region, The Jackson House is still standing today and can be toured mid-May through October.
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imilar in appearance, and nearly as old as the Jackson House, is the Sherburne House, dated to about 1698. The oldest remaining house in Strawbery Banke, this house was built completely of Eastern White Pine. According to The Jackson House Exterior John Schnitzler, “The frame, posts, beams, sheathing, and exterior elements were white pine because it was built when pine was king. Pine was easy to cut and transport, and the length of the timbers made it extremely adaptable to any use.” For the next century, Eastern White Pine would continue to be the most commonly used building material in Portsmouth and beyond. The next architectural leap for northern New England came when mills began fully sawing timbers for purposes of framing houses. Until 1760, only smaller framing elements, like studs, were fully sawn and squared—the posts and beams of a house were seldom fully hewn. Portsmouth’s Wentworth-Gardener House was the first to employ fully sawn framing. 5
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Originally cited in the 1921 Portsmouth Monograph, the Wentworth-Gardner house was bought by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1918 and was supposed to be gutted and shipped off to New York. In the original 1921 Monograph, Electus Litchfield lamented at the time:
“It is with mixed feelings one learns that it has been bought…and perhaps even by this time its interiors have been transplanted…
The Wentworth-Gardner House Circa 1921
One cannot help regretting that the house could not have been maintained, perhaps by the city of Portsmouth, or perhaps by the state of New Hampshire...There are not many towns where there is anything much finer than the interior of this house, but there are so many other towns where it seems so much harder to keep the fine old things, that one regrets that this is one of Portsmouth’s houses that had to be taken.” Indeed, witnessing the grand scope of its interior, one assumes The Met prized the house for its detailed carving and nearly perfect Georgian architecture. Fortunately for Portsmouth, the Wall Street Crash of 1929 came as a blessing in disguise as it alleviated any intention of moving the house to New York City. The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities briefly operated and furnished the house as a museum. Today, the house is under the care of a group of preservation-minded citizens who established The Wentworth-Gardner and Tobias Lear Houses Association. Tours are available to the public June through mid-October. /
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The Three-Story Colonial: Architectural Celebrity of Portsmouth Reflecting upon the 1921 Portsmouth Monograph, it is clear that Litchfield was quite taken by certain commonalities in the various structures he chose to report on. Perusing that volume’s photos, it becomes clear that Portsmouth’s architecture features the ThreeStory Colonial House.
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his is not surprising, given the town’s quaint New England setting and prestigious roles in history. But what is striking is, as Litchfield puts it, “Nowhere as [Portsmouth] was the three-story American house of wood so successfully and consistently developed.” He later adds, “It is characteristic, too, of Portsmouth, that, with but three important exceptions, its houses are uniformly made of wood.” Surely, if one were to peel away the layers upon layers of paint covering moldings, window frames, doorjambs, and the like, the straight and sturdy grain of Eastern White Pine would be revealed. With the port of Piscataqua exporting so much white pine in the early days of the region’s settlements, one can assume that the mills up the river were the key provider of materials for not just Portsmouth, but most of the northern colonies. The Wendell House is the first three-story house that Litchfield describes in great detail. Built by Jeremiah Hill in 1789, its “exterior is of clapboards set a few inches to the weather, like so many other houses of northern New England.” There’s not much documentation regarding the Wendell house, but given the building date and the fact that Jeremiah Hill is listed as a ‘joiner’ or finish carpenter, it is tacit that the clapboards referred to are white pine.
The Wendell House circa 1921
Modern day Wendell house with circa 1921 door insert 7
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Moving on to the Governor Langdon house, one might agree with Litchfield that it is “perhaps the most pretentious of the wood houses of Portsmouth.” One is taken aback at the ornate Corinthian columns and capitals framing the home’s entrance, and equally as impressed by the elaborate rococo-style woodcarvings of the interior reception rooms. Signer of the Constitution and three-term governor of New Hampshire, John Langdon spared no expense on this 1784
The Langdon House, circa 1921, built 1784
marvel of architecture. And why should he have? After all, when George Washington visits to praise your political efforts, you build to impress. Today, it is home to the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities museum. Pictured, but hardly mentioned, in the original Portsmouth Monograph is the Buckminster House. Built between 1720 and 1730 by Daniel Warner, a sea captain from Ipswich, Massachusetts, the mansion was occupied by a series of prominent men; including John Wendell, a wellknown patriot who was related to John Hancock and a friend of Alexander Hamilton. The Buckminster House, built in the 1700’s
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When John Paul Jones came to stay in Portsmouth, Wendell was one of the first men he sought out. The house is named after Rev. Joseph Buckminster, onetime Reverend of the fabled North Church in downtown Portsmouth. Today, the mansion is in fine form and houses an antiquarian bookshop from which one may tour the house by appointment. It is a perfect representation of the three-story colonial.
Samuel Lord House, built 1730 Home of John Paul Jones
Entrance detail
Perhaps the most well known historic dwelling in Portsmouth is the Samuel Lord House. Also referred to as the John Paul Jones House, it has housed the Portsmouth Historical Society since 1920. It is here that Litchfield most likely spearheaded his tour of Portsmouth architecture. The house was built in 1758 by sea captain Gregory Purcell for his bride Sarah Wentworth. After Purcell’s death, his widow began a boarding house to support her large family. Her most famous guest was John Paul Jones who, in 1777, stayed while overseeing the preparation of the ship Ranger. Jones returned in 1781, by this time a U.S. naval hero, and stayed for over a year, awaiting final construction and outfitting of the U.S.S. America. In the 1921 Monograph, Litchfield describes the John Paul Jones house as a simple, straightforward building with “...two windows flanking on each side an interesting doorway in the first story, and with five windows across the front in the second, the roof being…gambreled…and pierced with dormers.” The house remains a pristinely kept example of Georgian architecture. Its interior still features some of the original Georgian heavy molding, panels, and carved woodwork, most likely hand crafted from regional white pine. The house changed hands several times during the 19th century, and the front parlors provide examples of the changes in architectural styles during the federal period when it was remodeled. When built, the house stood on the edge of the downtown area and was amongst only a handful of three-story homes in the city. Recently, according to locals, the house’s fame inspired an appearance on national television as the ‘star’ of a Sears “Weatherbeater” house paint commercial. Bright yellow, it stands dramatically on the corner of Middle and State streets, just a five-minute walk from the busy shops and restaurants of downtown Portsmouth. In May through October, a tour of two floors includes a detailed history of the life of John Paul Jones. / 9
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+ The Bellamy Eagle: A White Pine Collectable
The Three-Story Colonial House is not the only wooden representative of Portsmouth worth appreciating. Anyone familiar with Bellamy Eagles recognizes that these impressive and sought after white pine collectables are prizes of American heritage. John Haley Bellamy was a wood carver native, for a time, to Portsmouth. He is best known for his ship figureheads and carved eagles. Despite enjoying a reputation as a master carver, shipping his white pine pieces throughout the country, and patenting six types of clock cases and an oarlock by 1880, Bellamy never achieved true financial security. When Bellamy died in 1914, The Portsmouth Herald wrote, “his name and his carvings will probably be known longer to the outside world than that of any ... man from Portsmouth.” Bellamy’s eagles, typically made from white pine because of timber size and carving ease, show a simplicity of design, form, and shape. Emblazoned with such statements as “Never Give Up The Ship,” the birds always incorporated a feeling of action and movement. Bellamy’s most famous work is the monumental Eagle figurehead carved in Portsmouth for the U.S.S. Lancaster. Walking the streets of Portsmouth, one is likely to pass many a storefront with replicas of the Bellamy Eagle. For the most impressive example, though, visit a restored (by John Schnitzler, incidentally) Elks Lodge near the corner of Pleasant and State streets. Here, above the door, is an eagle with the wingspan of at least 12 feet. While not the original, it is a white pine replica of a Bellamy Eagle that once graced the Portsmouth Fire Department over 100 years ago. / 10
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+ Strawbery Banke: Salvaging A Colonial Neighborhood Geographically, Portsmouth is similar to Portland, Maine in that it is more or less a peninsula. Most of the three-story mansions mentioned here and in the 1921 Portsmouth Monograph are located in what’s called the South End; the original Strawbery Banke settlement site. Back in the nineteenth century it had developed into an immigrant neighborhood known as Puddle Dock. Over the years, Puddle Dock became something of an eyesore, and, by the latter half of the twentieth century, was targeted for demolition. A Federal Urban Renewal project was proposed, wherein all “substandard” houses in the Puddle Dock neighborhood were to be torn down and replaced by modern structures. After 250 years, and generations of Portsmouth artisans, seamen, merchants, and their families, it was clear that an intervention was needed to preserve the rich historical white pine architecture and artifacts.
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n 1957 Dorothy M. Vaughan, a Portsmouth librarian, was invited to address the local Rotary Club. It is widely publicized that she “…decided to lay it right on the line, and tell them what Portsmouth was throwing away each time a house was torn down or a piece of furniture was sold out of town.” At her behest, a committee was created which combined the actions of urban renewal and historic preservation. This was unprecedented—until that time the law required that every building in a renewal area be demolished. Under a new law, the Puddle Dock neighborhood was to be saved as a historic museum, called Strawbery Banke. Since then, Portsmouth has continued to fervently celebrate its historic architecture. Throughout its growth, the city has accommodated history rather than encroach upon and stifle it. Litchfield captured this sentiment perfectly in the 1921 Monograph, when he stated, “It is characteristic of Portsmouth that its houses are essentially city houses, and not, as in so many other places, suburban dwellings swallowed up by the city.”
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Since the Strawbery Banke Museum opened to the public in 1965, Portsmouth has rediscovered the past it almost left behind. With renewed vigor, preservation and restoration brought attention to the historic treasures residing within Portsmouth city limits. Today, the museum flourishes. From May through October, and during the month of December, Strawbery Banke is alive with exhibits, classes, archeological excursions, workshops, and tours. There’s even an ancient tavern on the premises to quench your colonial thirst. If you do visit Strawbery Banke from afar, you may want to look into staying at the Strawbery Banke Inn on Court Street, adjacent to the museum. While not affiliated with the museum, it warrants a visit as it was once known as the Holbrook House. Home to a family of rope and sail makers in the early 1800’s, the house was highlighted in the 1921 Portsmouth Monograph as “the little house at 314 Court Street...of piquant interest. ” Litchfield has quite a bit to say about the entrance to the house:
“The frame of the entrance door is delightfully original and interesting, but it is terribly marred in its effect by the modern door and transom within it. How many architects have passed this house and wished that they might have the courage to ring the bell and ask its history, or to suggest the pleasure that it would give them to set inside that charming frame a door and fanlight which would be in keeping!” Litchfield’s criticism is as timely today as it was back then. Clearly, certain historical landmarks deserve a strict adherence to original materials and styles. That means Eastern White Pine clapboards should to be replaced ‘in kind’ with white pine clapboards, even if cedar is more readily available. Nowadays, according to John Schnitzler, restoring in kind is more of an ethical issue than law-binding statute. As the years pass, organizations like Strawbery Banke and the National Trust strive to restore and rebuild in kind, but this isn’t always possible due to a declining supply of certain wood species. Luckily, the Portsmouth area is home to several lumberyards stocking Eastern White Pine. As for the Holbrook House at 314 Court Street, it obviously didn’t fall under landmark status and, somewhere along the way, suffered a poor choice in door selection. Modern living is a far cry from the quaint musings of colonial Portsmouth residents. Even by 1921, nearly 90 years ago, Litchfield found the architecture of those 19th century homes to conjure up an older time of “high-bred, God-fearing gentlemen…gentlewomen of that early day with powdered hair and flowing silks…[and] Young blades in knee-britches and satin waistcoats.” Here, in 2009, amongst the brewpubs, sidewalk cafes, eclectic restaurants, art galleries, jazz clubs and distinctive artisans’ boutiques, sit the quiet, distinguished houses that are Portsmouth’s most tangible link to the past. “For if architecture can record, as it surely does, the character of a people, it writes large in Portsmouth the refinement and gentility of that early town.” / 12
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For if architecture can record, as it surely does, the character of a people, it writes large in Portsmouth the refinement and gentility of that early town.
314 Court Street circa 1921
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Architects, Designers and Building Professionals
is looking for story ideas, articles, photos and feedback for our next issue to be published in Summer of 2009
What we’re looking for:
% Updates on projects or designs featured in the original White Pine Monographs 5 % Photos of modern uses of Eastern White Pine 5 % Techniques for building with Eastern White Pine 5 % Projects showcasing Eastern White Pine 5 % New and old homes with classic styling of Eastern White Pine 5 % Innovative uses of New England’s most historic wood 5 % Industry news pertaining to Eastern White Pine 5
Submit your story ideas, photos, thoughts, expressions or well-written articles to: monographs@EasternWhitePine.org
List of Eastern White Pine Mills of The Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association Burell Lumber Company Hull Forest Products South Norfolk Products, Inc. Beaulieu Brothers Lumber, Inc. Chester Forest Products Crobb Box Company Fontaine, Inc. Fraser Timber Limited Hammond Lumber Company Hammond, Thomas & Son Hancock Lumber Company, Inc. Haskell Lumber, Inc. Hunt, N.C., Inc. Irving Forest Products Kelly, P.M., Inc./Kelly Lumber Sales Lavalley Lumber Company, LLC Limington Lumber Company East Lovell Lumber Company, Inc. Lowell, R.E., Lumber, Inc. Maschino & Sons Lumber Company, Inc. Moose River Lumber Company, Inc. Old Town Lumber Company Pleasant River Lumber, Inc. Record Lumber, Inc. Robbins Lumber, Inc. Stratton Lumber, Inc. Cowls, W.D., Inc. North Robinson, W.R., Lumber Company, Inc. Bingham Lumber, Inc. Chocorua Valley Lumber Company Cote & Reney Lumber Company, Inc. DiPrizio Pine Sales Durgin & Crowell Lumber Company, Inc. H.G. Wood Industries, LLC King Forest Industries, Inc. Madison Lumber Mill, Inc. Milan Lumber Company, Inc. Patenaude Lumber Company, Inc. Precision Lumber, Inc. Seacoast Mills, Inc. HDK Wood Products Johnson Lumber Company Russin Lumber Corporation Ward Lumber Company, Inc. Brojack Lumber Kuhns Bros. Lumber Co., Inc. Britton Lumber Company, Inc. Cersosimo Lumber Company Cyr Lumber, Inc. Lamell Lumber Corp. Manchester Lumber M.B. Heath & Sons Lumber Company, Inc. Mill River Lumber Ltd. North Newman Lumber Company, Inc.
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