Rundlet-May House
Encyclopedia
The Rundlet-May House in Portsmouth
, New Hampshire
, USA, was built in 1807 by James Rundlet, who acquired his wealth in the textile trade. Rundlet imported his wallpapers from England and purchased his furniture from local cabinetmakers, whose work was noted for its fine craftsmanship and striking use of veneer.
Rundlet also saw to it that his house was equipped 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.
The house is now operated as a museum by Historic New England
and contains many of its original furnishings, as well as some pieces added by later generations. The formal gardens, orchard, and attached outbuildings (including two privies
) remain as first used by Rundlet.
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, USA, was built in 1807 by James Rundlet, who acquired his wealth in the textile trade. Rundlet imported his wallpapers from England and purchased his furniture from local cabinetmakers, whose work was noted for its fine craftsmanship and striking use of veneer.
Rundlet also saw to it that his house was equipped with the latest technologies. The kitchen boasts both a Rumford
Rumford fireplace
The Rumford fireplace is a tall, shallow fireplace designed by Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford, born 1753 in Woburn, Massachusetts, an Anglo-American physicist who was known for his investigations of heat....
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.
The house is now operated as a museum by Historic New England
Historic New England
Historic New England, previously known as the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities , is a charitable, non-profit, historic preservation organization headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. It is focused on New England and is the oldest and largest regional preservation...
and contains many of its original furnishings, as well as some pieces added by later generations. The formal gardens, orchard, and attached outbuildings (including two privies
Outhouse
An outhouse is a small structure separate from a main building which often contained a simple toilet and may possibly also be used for housing animals and storage.- Terminology :...
) remain as first used by Rundlet.