Details
364 Middle St., Portsmouth, NH 03801
In 1807, James and Jane Rundlet built their imposing mansion on a terraced rise and filled it with the finest furnishings available. The complex of connected outbuildings, including carriage barn and privies, borders the elaborate gardens and orchard in what was both an urban showplace and home for the Rundlets' large family. Rundlet equipped his home with the latest technologies. The kitchen boasts both a Rumford roaster and a Rumford range, as well as a set kettle and an elaborate venting system that services a smoke room on the third floor. There is an early coal-fired central heating system and an indoor well. Rundlet-May House shows four generations of family possessions and taste, ranging from original 1807 wallcoverings and furniture to twentieth-century additions by the Rundlets' great-grandchildren. The gardens retain their original layout with plantings that were popular during the Colonial Revival period. Rundlet-May House is owned and operated by Historic New England. Open the first and third Saturdays, June 1 – October 15, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tours on the hour. Last tour at 4:00 p.m. Admission is $8. Historic New England members are free.