The Larkin-Rice House is a historic house at 180 Middle Street in
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on ...
. Built c. 1813–15, it is a distinctive example of Federal period architecture, notable for its facade, which has five
Palladian window
Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Republic of Venice, Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetr ...
s. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1979.
Description and history
The Larkin-Rice House stands on the west side of Middle Street, a busy through street south of downtown Portsmouth, between Austin and State Streets. It is a three-story brick building, roughly square in footprint, with four chimneys and a truncated hip roof with a widow's walk at its center. The main facade is three bays wide, with a symmetrical arrangement of windows around a centered entrances. The windows flanking the entrance are classical three-part Palladian windows, with narrow sidelights and a rounded center window. On the second floor are three similar arrangements, except the flanking sidelights have been bricked over. All of the windows are set in slightly recessed brick panels. Third-floor windows are small three-over-three sash, crowned by splayed stone lintels. The main cornice has classical detailing. The interior of the house has had some alterations, but many Federal period features remain intact.
[
The house was built c. 1813-15 by Samuel Larkin, an auctioneer who made a fortune selling off assets seized by local ]privateer
A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...
s during the War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
. A period stable and carriage house also survives on the property, while other features, notably a covered way between the house and stable, have been removed.
See also
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References
{{NRHP in Rockingham County, New Hampshire
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New Hampshire
Houses completed in 1813
Houses in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
National Register of Historic Places in Portsmouth, New Hampshire