NHFF Venue Partner, The Moffatt-Ladd House, Celebrates 250 Years

Portsmouth, NH—The Moffatt-Ladd House and Garden located at 154 Market St. in downtown Portsmouth is a National Historic Landmark built in 1763, and has been open to the public as a historic house museum since 1912.  The house is furnished to showcase its original features and to reflect its use as a private home from 1763 through 1900.  The Garden was laid out in its present form by Alexander Hamilton Ladd in the late nineteenth century, and some highlights include an English damask rose planted in 1768 by Sarah Catherine Mason Moffatt and the enormous horse chestnut tree planted in 1776 by General William Whipple upon his return from signing the Declaration of Independence.  Also on the property is The Moffatt-Ladd Coach House which represents one of only a few 18th century shops or warehouses to survive on the New Hampshire Seacoast, and went through a massive renovation and restoration process in 2008 and the beginning of 2009.

After the renovations were complete in 2009, the New Hampshire Film Festival began using the Historic Coach House as a screening venue. The Warehouse has become a favorite among festival goers and filmmakers for its unique and intimate setting, and NHFF is excited to continue this partnership for 2013!

Please support the Moffatt-Ladd as they celebrate the 250th anniversary of the house with the“Our Old House Festival.”

Come experience the Moffatt-Ladd House and Garden’s celebration of the 250th birthday of the house at the OUR Old House Festival on Saturday June 1, 2013, from 12:30-4:30PM. Staff, volunteers, costumed interpreters, reenactors, and area experts will share workshops, demonstrations, and presentations throughout the house, garden, and warehouse covering a wide range of subjects related to the history of the house.  Topics will include timber framing, window restoration, cabinet making, weaving, cooking, dining, caring for the museum’s historic trees, stories of objects from Portsmouth’s past, and more.

This year we welcome members of the 10th Regiment of Foot, a re-created unit of the British Army, reenacting the lives of soldiers serving in the colonies in the years leading up to the Revolution, when the inhabitants of the Moffatt-Ladd House — including signer of the Declaration of Independence, William Whipple — were still British subjects, but were becoming increasingly active in the Patriot cause.

Family and children’s activities, including making marbled paper, writing with a quill pen, face painting, fish printing, and mural painting will be ongoing throughout the Festival.  Members of the museum’s garden committee will be selling heirloom plants taken directly from the Moffatt-Ladd House’s extensive colonial revival garden.  The Festival culminates with a free concert in the 18th century Moffatt-Ladd Warehouse at 4:45PM — Jeff Warner performing “Songs of Old New Hampshire.”  The concert is made possible through a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities Council.

The Our Old House Festival is part of the Live Free and Play Seacoast Attractions Summer Kick-Off Weekend, May 31 through June 2.  Be part of the celebration as Portsmouth and the NH Seacoast come alive for the summer season with a variety of discounts, offers, tours, activities, and festivals.

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The Festival is FREE and open to the public, and will be held RAIN or SHINE in the House, Warehouse, and under tents!  Don’t miss this wonderful event!

The house will open for the season June 2nd, with tours 10-5 Monday-Saturday and 1-5 Sundays.