Hamilton House, Georgian country estate in South Berwick, United States.
Hamilton House is a two-and-a-half-story wooden building with four brick chimneys and gabled dormers, set on a rise above the Salmon Falls River in South Berwick, Maine. It is now a National Historic Landmark managed by Historic New England, which opens the property to visitors.
Jonathan Hamilton, a merchant who grew wealthy through privateering during the American Revolutionary War, built the house between 1787 and 1788. In the early 1900s, writer Sarah Orne Jewett's family circle purchased the property and led its restoration before eventually transferring it to Historic New England.
Inside, the rooms are furnished with period pieces and reproduced wallpaper patterns that reflect the tastes of wealthy New England households around 1800. Walking through the rooms gives a clear sense of how a prosperous merchant family arranged and decorated their home.
The property is open only during certain months of the year, so checking the schedule before visiting is a good idea. Guided tours are the main way to see the interior and the grounds, so booking ahead is worth considering.
The Salmon Falls River running below the house forms the state line between Maine and New Hampshire, so standing on the bank means looking across into two states at once. This setting drew a circle of Boston artists and writers who gathered here as summer guests in the late 1800s.
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