The Oldest House in New Hampshire is Older than America

1776 sounds like a pretty long time ago. Thomas Jefferson and his posse lived pretty differently than we do now. Electricity was still a few decades away from being invented, running water in homes was almost one hundred years away, as was toilet paper! The year that our country was born, our forefathers were pretty much roughing it, but they didn't know it at the time.

But about 80 years before Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were even born, the oldest house in New Hampshire was built and is still standing proud today.

What is the oldest house in New Hampshire? .

According to historicnewengland.org, the oldest surviving house in New Hampshire is the Jackson House on 76 Northwest Street in Portsmouth. It got it's name because it was built in 1664 by a dude named Richard Jackson. Richard was a woodworker, farmer, and mariner. It is also the oldest wood-frame house in the state.

Since Richard was involved in shipbuilding and trade this influenced the home’s design and materials.

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Very few homes from this era are still standing close to their original form and the Jackson House is one of them. This house has survived wars, fires, and centuries of development around it. That is no easy feat!

 Can you go inside the Jackson house?

Yes, you can! The Jackson House has been deemed a National Historic Landmark and is now operated as a museum by Historic New England. You could take a tour of  the Jackson house on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month from June through October! Tours start on the half hour between 10:30 AM and 2:30 PM. Admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, and $5 for students and children; members of Historic New England can visit for free.

Even if you call this area home, this is such a fascinating tour, I highly recommend it. It is so fun to be tourist in your own city!

For more information or to book a tour, you can visit the Historic New England website.