Warner House — Attraction in Portsmouth

The MacPheadris-Warner House, c. 1716.

Built for a Scots-Irish sea captain, this is the oldest urban brick house in northern New England. A member of the King's Council, Archibaild MacPheadris was a successful merchant and ship owner, and principal investor for Lamprey Iron Works, the first iron works in New Hampshire. The house passed through family ownership of MacPheadris and Warners until 1932 when it was purchased by the Warner House association. This association, a group of preservationists led by Edith Wendell, later opened a historic house museum.

the MacPheadris-Warner House was declared a National Historic Landmark and is listed in the National Register of...

The Warner House is well worth visiting! The house is a superb example of Georgian architecture and has a lovely interior with Georgian and Federal furnishings. It features some unique murals, a gorgeous Queen Anne Highboy dresser with inlaid wood, and a ballroom with walls covered in an unusual paint made from blue glass called “smalt.” The house also features a charming garden and a lightning rod installed by Benjamin Franklin. Our tour guide, Mason, was very welcoming and knowledgeable. He gave us a...

Built c.1716 for ambitious immigrant Capt. Archibald Macpheadris, the Warner House is one of the oldest urban brick residences in New England, boasting rich architectural features of early-Georgian style, including old growth-wood paneling and find moldings. Ascend the center staircase and encounter four unique colonial wall murals, considered the oldest extant wall murals in...