The Restoration

Archaeology Excavation & Monitoring:

Because the 1.1 acre building site is in the “back yard” of the original house foundation, an archaeological excavation was conducted in the fall 2003 in order to test the building site for possible historic structural remains. Fifty-eight one and half foot square test pits were dug to ensure that no historic materials were at risk in the area of the house reconstruction.

Foundation/Basement:

The house was restored to its 18th-century appearance from the soil line up. Though the original structure had a cellar only under the east side of the house and a small “secret cellar” under the lean-to kitchen, the restored structure has a full basement of poured concrete to house modern heating and plumbing needs as well as to facilitate storage. The secret cellar that originally stood underneath the kitchen was also recreated. A concrete foundation with 10" walls and 4" floor laid over a vapor barrier was poured to approximately 10" above the soil line. The wall has a shelf just below the soil line to support a stone masonry veneer above ground so that the outward appearance will be the same as it was in 1936. A reinforced concrete pad was poured to support the chimney base.

Chimney/Fireplace Reconstruction:

The center chimney stack of the Colonel Paul Wentworth House was restored to its original configuration based on the HABS measured drawings completed in 1936. When the chimney was reconstructed in Dover, MA in 1937 very few if any of the original brick were used. In reconstructing the chimney stack and fireboxes in Dover, MA masons of the era used a Portland cement-based mortar which made any attempt to salvage any original bricks extremely difficult. The original hearth brick or foot tiles were saved and were used in the reconstruction, and the chimney stack was rebuilt in Rollinsford using 18th-century water struck brick and granite collected by mason John Wastrom. The chimney base was constructed of salvaged granite and fieldstone dry laid and pointed with a clay mortar.

All fireplaces were rebuilt in their original locations and fitted with modern flues so that they can be safely utilized. In the lean-to kitchen the hearth was brought back to its mid-18th-century appearance before it was enclosed to install a cook stove and set kettle.

House Reconstruction:

As stated above, the house was restored based on the HABS drawings of 1936. Any missing or damaged elements of interior trim, paneling, wainscoting etc. were recreated to match HABS drawings and photographs. Some new hardware where required was made to match existing hardware. A "three-coat plaster" based on the original was used in the building in the appropriate areas. The house has a new cedar wood-shingled roof and shingles which have been treated with fire retardant.

Modern amenities:

The house uses town water and has a septic system designed by Paul Connolly and installed by Mike Lapoint with assistance from Gove Construction. A modern electrical system was installed, and a security system/fire detector provides protection for the house throughout the year. The house has a furnace to accommodate forced hot air heating with minimal intrusions to the historic interior. No plumbing existed in the original structure but to accommodate modern usage, a small hidden sink was installed in the buttery and a handicapped accessible bathroom in the bedroom off the lean-to kitchen. Because the frame of the lean-to was altered in Dover, MA and contains some replacement woodwork, it was the area best suited to accommodate these modern conveniences.

Other Restoration Work:

An interior finishes study, including microscopic paint analysis, was conducted by Building Conservation Associates (BCA) in 2005 to document the building’s historic finishes and to aid in the interior restoration. Paint colors were selected using the closest commercially available color match as suggested by BCA.

Using photographic images, the front door lantern was reproduced and generously donated by Northeast Lantern of Exeter, New Hampshire.

With grant funding from the Tidewater Seed Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation's Piscataqua Region, in 2007 historic landscape designer Lucinda Brockway of Past Designs developed a landscape design for the Wentworth House. Based on old photos, the 1936 site plan, intended usage for the house, and Ms. Brockway’s own experience with 18th century landscape design, the landscape plan includes a kitchen garden with four raised beds, period-appropriate fencing, a lilac hedge, and heirloom fruit trees.