moffatt ladd house

Drawn by its imposing exterior and location overlooking the harbor, we decided to visit this historic house but were unprepared for the beautiful, ornate interiors. The gracious two-story entry hall with a grand staircase is splendid with imported European 18th c. wallpaper depicting the Bay of Naples. The sitting room includes a fascinating series of family portraits and an entire suite of original Chinese Chippendale furniture. Renovated by the second generation of inhabitants, the dining room shows all the features of a fine Neo-Classical interior that was very fashionable in the early 1800's. Upstairs the bedrooms provide intimate glances into the lives of the original inhabitants, and the top floor nursery is especially touching with its well-used toys and schoolbooks. Behind the house, a lovely garden lures the visitor to enjoy its quiet, colorful spaces. The knowledgeable guide answered all our questions and explained the authenticity of the objects on view and the decor of each room. We thoroughly enjoyed this unexpected treasure.

The Moffat Ladd house is the mansion/home of a wealthy Portsmouth merchant that was built in the 1760's and which you can take a narrated tour of. It was one of the first homes with a dining room. There is also a very nice garden behind the house and it has harbor views. A worthwhile visit.

We enjoyed this tour very much and were quite surprised at how well the house had been maintained. The extras the family built into this house for its age were amazing. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and made the tour very enjoyable. Nice way to kill a little under an hour.

this house is right downtown and across from the wear. It is fascinating to hear about the owners, see some of the furniture and get a sense of what it was like in the early times in our country,

Sarah was our personal tour guide of this interesting historical residence. You can tell she really loves history and loves what she does as she made the personal tour most interesting. A must-see visit while in Portsmouth. Beautiful gardens.

House seemed a teeny bit dark; was first tour of the season, maybe they need to open the blinds more? Great tour guide as at John Langdon House, also, gardens in back are very pretty. Wish I had a house with a beautiful harbor view like this one! Tip: You may only want to set one at most two house tours a day for yourself, is harder than it looks!

Had a private tour for about an hour in this splendid house. The guide who provided the information about the history of the house and it'ts former inhabitants knew a lot off background. Garden is worth visiting.

I was happy to present a pigeon demonstration at the Annual celebration tour. I was so impressed with the property and gardens. The warehouse is really spectacular. I can't wait to go back with my family. I wish I had time to enjoy all the presentations.

I love going inside historic homes and this one was a treat, inside and out. Great location. The staff was very helpful with stories of the town and the neighborhood. Just one of many homes you can tour in downtown Portsmouth.

The history in this one building was very impressive. Our tour guide, Sandy, gave us a great tour, and knew just about everything that had ever happened there. Original house was build 250 years ago, but has had many extensive additions, changes, and remodels since. Furniture and woodworking detail were fabulous. Allow an hour for this site - tour (she did a full tour for just the two of us) was a bit over 45 minutes, and then we toured the garden. Even in October they had nice flowers. Would really like to see this in late spring/early summer.

Beautifully maintained 17th century old New England. We attended my nephews wedding there in the back property. The whole ceremony was outside. The meal was delicious. We went over to the newly built replica of an original barn next door. It was clean and well lit for the reception. Plenty of room for dancing. We had a ball. The location is very near the center of the city and the ocean is a block away. After hour party was up the street at the Portsmouth Brewery.

My husband and I were in town for the day on a random Tuesday. We ended up getting a private tour from one of the sweetest ladies ever. She was funny and full of history both in Portsmouth and the Moffatt/Ladd family. The house is as beautiful as it is unique and the garden was magical. We had a blast going through the house and garden. Well worth the visit. Tip: um they don't take them, tips that is. Our guide said she would donate it to the house after we refused to take the tip back.

Had missed this the last time and was glad to have had the chance this year.Well informed but stressed guide gave a full run through of the history and about the building and contents in spite of being under the weather from the noxious fumes from a restoration.Stairway in the front hall is impressive.

Tours of this home are guided and the tour guides give a good presentation of the history of the place. After the tour, one is free to roam around the attractive gardens outside. Photos can be taken of the gardens but no photos are allowed inside. The house was built by the merchant John Moffatt in the mid 18th century and remained in the hands of his descendants until becoming a museum in 1912. Among the people who lived here are William Whipple, a Revolutionary War veteran and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Some of the furnishings in the home date back a couple of centuries.

I recommend visiting this historical site at least once. The house and gardens are beautiful and the museum is pretty interesting. This was definitely an important place in U.S history and its worth visiting.