Originally built along the Piscataqua River for John Haggis in 1774, this Georgian-style house is an exceptional example of a Colonial era dwelling. The ornate structure has a steeply pitched hipped roof with flared eaves and a central entrance framed by a pedimented portico (or porch) supported by Doric columns. Author Sarah Orne Jewett lived and wrote in this house for most of her life. Born in 1849, she wrote over twenty novels and collections of short stories that are considered quintessential in their depiction of the lives and landscapes of rural Maine in the late nineteenth century. Coming from an aristocratic shipping family, Jewett learned the rural mannerisms and local histories of Maine while traveling the countryside with her father, a physician. As her work gained popularity she befriended many literary juggernauts including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry James. Celebrated author Willa Cather noted Jewett as a significant source of inspiration. Jewett died at the home in 1909. It is now a museum home run by Historic New England. Her bedroom remains unchanged.
Year Listed: 1973
For more information: https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=e50c18dd-6ba1-4f87-a46d-eb59c9934faf
https://www.historicnewengland.org/property/sarah-orne-jewett-house-museum-and-visitor-center/