Governor John Langdon House
Portsmouth, United States
Exterior only
Visible from the street; the inside is private.
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Built in 1784 by Founding Father John Langdon, a merchant, shipbuilder, and signer of the United States Constitution, this Georgian mansion at 143 Pleasant Street in Portsmouth, New Hampshire exemplifies the refined taste of late eighteenth-century merchant élites. The five-bay facade centers on an elaborate entry portico supported by Corinthian columns, while the interior showcases exceptional woodwork attributed to Portsmouth craftsman Ebenezer Clifford, with rococo-style ornamental carving adorning the reception rooms. Langdon's grand residence impressed even George Washington during his 1789 visit. The house later received a Colonial Revival addition designed by McKim, Mead & White in the late nineteenth century, when descendants added a sympathetic two-story wing. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974, it now operates as a house museum under the stewardship of Historic New England.
Movement
- Built
- Type
- mansion
- Heritage
- National Register of Historic Places listed place, National Historic Landmark
- Place
- Portsmouth, United States
This building on
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Location