Wentworth-Gardner House

In this 1760's Georgian mansion, you'll see lovely furniture with original details as well as the Wallace Nutting photo collection. A mansion built for Thomas Wentworth, the brother of the last royal governor of New Hampshire. The house was lived in by Wentworth and his wife, Anne and five children until he died in 1768. Anne then remarried to a captain of the royal navy and moved to England. In 1793, the house was purchased by Major William Gardner, who added extensive gardens, a barn, a wharf, and some other buildings. Since Gardner's death in 1834, many other changes to update have been made. In 1933 the local Portsmouth committee was formed to manage the house and turned it into a museum.

John Paul Jones House Museum

A 1758 colonial home with a gambrel roof and historic gardens. Inside you'll see collections of clothing, guns, china, glassware, wedding gowns, canes, and furniture. Local portraits and documents help tell the history of the time period. Bought by a sea captain and his wife, she was forced to take in borders. The most famous guest was John Paul Jones, who stayed while preparing the ship, Ranger, for battle in 1777. He also returned to stay after becoming a hero.

Tobias Lear House

Tobias Lear V, became the secretary to George Washington. Washington was a visitor to the house once while touring Portsmouth. Even though the house had been sold many times after the house was left to Lear's daughter, no electricity or plumbing was ever installed throughout the whole house. It was purchased in the 1930's by Wallace Nutting, who restored the nearby Wentworth Gardner mansion. The Lear house is a stately home, with large windows, wide hallways and fine stairway.