Historic house in New Hampshire, United States
United States historic place
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]
Description and history
The 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.
