Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-08
One Of the Roads About Portsmouth
Leading to an Historic Spot.
BEAUTIES OF old WENTWORTH HALL
Charming Views From the Mansion
Owned by the Proud Governor.
A WEDDING DAY RECALLED
special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.
PORTSMOUTH. N. H., Sept g. 1900
If any one interested In the early his
tory of our country. its architecture, it's
furniture. its household plenishings, could
ever be surfeited with these subjects, the
point of safety might be reached right here
in Portsmouth
On every hand are reminders OF former
days. and one never goes out without be-
ing led on and on by something ancient and
attractive, and non-walkers are beguiled
into more steps than they would believe
themselves capable of and come home quite
exhausted after wandering around these
crooked streets that never run as one
might expect. and bring one out I'm the
most unexpected places The drives about
are most enticing also and wind through
roads shaded with great elms and bounded
by gray stone wals-a picturesque feature
of every landscape here.
Strawberry Bank is what Portsmouth was
first christened, and Strawberry lane Is one
of the prettiest of the roads through the
country In this immediate neighborhood
We went that way when we drove to Lit
tie Harbor, where the old Wentworth Hail.
a noble pile, baronial and colonial in its
style" stands looking out over the water
most picturesque, with outline so irregular
that 1t bears out the tradition that every
time Governor Wentworth entertained a
guest he put an addition to his house"
The old entrance is in one of these ap-
parent additions. lower than the rest of the
building In height and on lower ground with
only fiat. worn stone between IL and the
si.ls The door, massive in appearance is
fastened by a cumbersome lock measuring
eight by ten inches. The hall is very small
and on the wall hangs two racks filled with
old muskets. just where they were placed
o. H. t. ~ Ill
Der. or banquet hall large room. rather low
for its size. with heavy white paneled VAIN
scot colonial buff walls. with white beams
crossing the ceiling the mantel reaching to
1t IS Of carved white wood. very elaborate,
with a facing of gray marble, veined in
darker gray.
Beside the Wide Hearth.
The opening of the chimney is large, and
a great log was lying on the androns, ready
to give out the old-time Pickering light,
Just as f1tful and alluring of yore.
The original spinnet stands by window.
but only two or three other articles of fur
niture are in the room al the present time.
The addition containing this room and the
one opening from 1t. the old billiard room,
Is only the width of the rooms, so large
windows each side give views Of land
and water which are charming to look upon.
The farther room has the advantage In
this respect. as there are also windows on
the third side. that completes the suite.
and Little Harbor, the Great Wentworth
Hotel on the hill across the water. with
bridges, and fields lie spread out before one.
In this room Is Powered wall paper In
large design. but, like the other, has little
in 1t as furnishing. Under the house on the
water side is the great entrance, through
which 1t is said sixteen men could ride
abreast to seek refuge in times of danger.
The Upstaire ParlOr.
To reach the rest of the house one must
necessarily turn back through these two
rooms to the hall. where short, narrow
flight of stairs leads to the parlor, higher
by four feet or so than these state apart
ments following the rise of ground, upon
which all the house Is built save these.
The room entered at the head OF the
stairs Is used by the Boston family who
have purchased this old mansion for sum
mer home as a parlor STILL and 1t Is thor
oughly attractive The walls are paneied
and papered above, also in panels, and the
woodwork Is white like the council cham
Der. 1t is lower in proportion than that
and the windows much smaller: above them
are wooden cornices. built there. with fam
cifully shaped edges to conceal the curtain
tops. A very pretty. though not elaborate
high mantel Is in small recess. and over 1t a
narrow mantel mirror, a beautiful specimen
of the old style. The furniture is all an
tique, though not belonging to the house
originally. A book ROOM opens from this.
quantity pretty and then the house stretch
es away from the entrance hall. and the
more intimate family flower life Of this gem
Grafton goes on.
The OId-FnshiOned Garden.
The small flower garden Of old times is
near this end of the house, and beds and
borders, plum tree. loaded with fruit, and
well-kept walks show present as well as
past interest in 1t. From the point
of land near the view up and
down the water front or inland over
the old grounds, with its fine trees, is lovely
in the extreme Here 1t was that Martha
Hilton lived and served for seven years,
mot wholly unobserved by the governor,
who had been widower all the time the
maid had been of his household.
Years before she ram "a thin slip of a
GIRL" through Portsmouth town. and when
reproved by Mistress Stavers .'Oh, Martha
Hilton! Fie! How dare you go about, the
town. half dressed and looking so?' re-
ceived for a reply. mo matter how l look;
yet shall ride in my own chariot ma am"
The time may have seemed long coming to
her, but when the sixtieth birthday of the
governor drew near he and she prepared a
surprise for the Portsmouth world.
Lndx Wentworth at Last.
A splendid banquet was prepared at Went
worth Hall. such as became the COVER
nor of the state. who represented England
and the king" and all the elite of the col
the Rev. Arthur Browne.
After the feast came the surprise. for
then, at a summons from the governor, in
came "a maiden. modest and yet self pos
sessed. youthful and beautiful. and simply
dressed" After the first establishment was
over the Rev. Arthur Browne was called
upon to perform the marriage ceremony be-
tween the erstwhie barefooted maiden and
the proud governor. and they were made
man and wife. and Martha was Lady
Wentworth of the HALL" So Longfellow
has sung the story in the "Wayside Inn"
and a real one it seems as one leaves the
old house at Little Harbor and. driving back
to Portsmouth. passing in Queen street the
old tavern of the Earl of Halifax" where
Mistress Stavers stood when she called out
to the little Martha Hilton as she ran bare
footed down the street, with her pail of
water dripping on her feet.
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