The Pierce Manse is a historic house museum located in Concord, New Hampshire. It was the home of the 14th

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

, Franklin Pierce, who lived there from 1842 to 1848, not long before his presidency.

Overview

Franklin Pierce and his wife

Jane Pierce Jane Means Pierce (née Appleton; March 12, 1806 – December 2, 1863) was the wife of Franklin Pierce and the first lady of the United States from 1853 to 1857. She married Franklin Pierce, then a Congressman, in 1834 despite her family's misgiv ...

moved here after she persuaded him to resign his seat in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

and leave

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

They owned the home from 1842 to 1848.Hannaford, Peter. ''Presidential Retreats: Where the Presidents Went and Why They Went There''. New York: Threshold Editions, 2012: 69. Pierce resumed his law practice and also served as district attorney and chairman of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

.McFarland, Philip. ''Hawthorne in Concord''. New York: Grove Press, 2004: 175. . During this time, Pierce advocated on behalf of

James K. Polk James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. He previously was the 13th speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–1839) and ninth governor of Tennessee (183 ...

's campaign for the presidency. Polk appointed Pierce

U.S. Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...

for the State of New Hampshire as a reward in 1845.Nowlan, Robert A. ''The American Presidents From Polk to Hayes: What They Did, What They Said & What Was Said About Them''. Denver, CO: Outskirts Press, 2016: 177. In May 1845, Pierce took a trip away from home to visit his friend

Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associated with that t ...

and his wife Sophia Peabody, who were then living in

The Old Manse The Old Manse is a historic manse in Concord, Massachusetts, United States, notable for its literary associations. It is open to the public as a nonprofit museum owned and operated by the Trustees of Reservations. The house is located on Monume ...

Concord, Massachusetts Concord () is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. At the 2020 census, the town population was 18,491. The United States Census Bureau considers Concord part of Greater Boston. The town center is near where the confl ...

, along with their Bowdoin College friend

Horatio Bridge Horatio Bridge (April 8, 1806 – March 18, 1893) was an officer of the United States Navy who, as Chief of the Bureau of Provisions, served for many years as head of the Navy's supply organization. Appointed by his former college mate, President ...

. Peabody recalled the meeting fondly and recorded her first impression of Pierce as "loveliness and truth of character and natural refinement." In 1846, Polk offered Pierce the

United States Attorney General The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

position, which Pierce declined on account of his wife's health. That year, with the outbreak of the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

, Pierce enlisted as a private and was soon promoted to brigadier general. After an accident resulted in injury during the

Battle of Contreras The Battle of Contreras, also known as the Battle of Padierna, took place on 19–20 August 1847, in one of the final encounters of the Mexican–American War, as invading U.S. forces under Winfield Scott approached the Mexican capital. Americ ...

, he resigned from the Army by 1848. In 1971 the building was threatened with demolition as part of an urban renewal project. Locals created the "Pierce Brigade", an organization to raise funds to purchase and save the home. Due to their efforts, the building was moved from Montgomery Street in Concord to its present location at 14 Horseshoe Pond Lane (in 1971 known as Penacook Street). It was opened to the public in 1974. The home is available for guided tours from mid-June to October. It continues to be operated by the Pierce Brigade.

References

External links

Pierce Manse
official site
"Life Portrait of Franklin Pierce"
from C-SPAN's '' American Presidents: Life Portraits'', broadcast from the Pierce Manse, June 14, 1999 {{Coord, 43, 13, 03, N, 71, 32, 34, W, type:landmark, display=title Franklin Pierce family residences Historic house museums in New Hampshire Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New Hampshire Houses in Concord, New Hampshire Presidential homes in the United States Museums in Merrimack County, New Hampshire Biographical museums in New Hampshire Presidential museums in the United States Tourist attractions in Concord, New Hampshire Historic district contributing properties in New Hampshire National Register of Historic Places in Concord, New Hampshire

Overview

See also

References

External links