The Samuel Beck House is a historic house at 407 The Hill in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Built about 1761, it is a well-preserved example of late colonial architecture with an early Federal period door surround. The building was moved to its present location as part of a project to widen nearby Deer Street. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.[1]
Samuel Beck House | |
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| Location | 407 The Hill, Portsmouth, New Hampshire |
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| Coordinates | 43°4′42″N 70°45′36″W / 43.07833°N 70.76000°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Architectural style | Federal, Adamesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000167[1] |
| Added to NRHP | April 3, 1973 |
Description and history
editThe Samuel Beck House stands near the southwestern corner of The Hill, a cluster of historic houses southwest of the junction of Deer and High Streets. These houses were relocated to this area as part of a road widening project. The Beck House is 2+1⁄2 stories in height, with a side gable roof and clapboarded exterior. It is five bays wide and two deep, with a large central chimney, and an early Federal-period front door surround with an arched fanlight. The interior retains original 18th-century features, including paneled fireplace surrounds, and a three-run winding staircase in the front entry vestibule.[2]
The land where this house originally stood on Deer Street was platted in 1710 and subdivided in 1756. It was purchased by Samuel Beck in 1761.[2] The neighborhood, populated in the early 20th century by Italian immigrants, was subjected to urban renewal activities in the 1960s and 1970s. This house was one of a number that was relocated to form The Hill, while others were razed or moved elsewhere.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b "NRHP nomination for Samuel Beck House". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-06-10.