The John Paul Jones House is a historic house at 43 Middle Street in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Now a

historic house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a ...

and a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

, it is where

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

naval hero

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. He made many friends among U.S political elites ( ...

, resided from 1781-82 when it was operated as a boarding house. He also lived in a home in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on Caroline Street, owned by his brother.

History

The -story wood-frame house was built in 1758 by the master housewright Hopestill Cheswell, a successful African-American builder in the city.Mark J. Sammons and Valerie Cunningham, ''Black Portsmouth: Three Centuries of African-American Heritage''
(2004), pp. 32-33, accessed 27 July 2009 The house was built for Captain Gregory Purcell, who owned it with his wife Sarah until his death in 1776. After Purcell's death his wife took in boarders, until her own death in 1783. The American naval hero

rented a room at the widow Purcell's during 1781–1782, while supervising construction of the ship '' America''.Jones died in Paris in the house a
19 Rue de Tournon
in 1792. The house was declared a

in 1972. and

Description

The house is stories high, with a gambrel roof, and two chimneys projecting from the interior. A two-story addition to the northeast was added in the early 19th century. The five-bay main facade has a central entry topped by a segmented arch pediment, supported by flanking pilasters. The first floor windows of the main facade are topped by triangular pediments. The interior of the house follows a typical Georgian center-hall plan, with rooms flanking a central hall with stairs. To the left of the hall are a parlor in front, and a counting room or office in the rear, while to the right is a large dining room with what was originally the kitchen behind. Upstairs there are four bedrooms; that of Jones was in the southeast corner. The third floor has five bedrooms. The downstairs rooms now contain museum exhibits, and the dining room has been decorated to early 19th-century taste. The house has belonged to the Portsmouth Historical Society since 1919, and is open to the public.

References

External links

"John Paul Jones House"
Portsmouth Historical Society
"John Paul Jones"
Seacoast New Hampshire

PBS '' Frontline'', 1995-2012 {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, John Paul, House National Historic Landmarks in New Hampshire Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New Hampshire Houses completed in 1758 Historic house museums in New Hampshire Biographical museums in New Hampshire Museums in Portsmouth, New Hampshire History museums in New Hampshire Houses in Portsmouth, New Hampshire National Register of Historic Places in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

History

Description

See also

References

External links