Sarah Orne Jewett House

South Berwick, Maine
1774

A National Historic Landmark

Writer Sarah Orne Jewett (1849-1909) was born in her grandparents' eighteenth-century house, where she lived with her family until 1854, when a Greek Revival House was built next door. As Sarah gained attention as an author, she and her family continued to live in the two Portland Street homes in the center of South Berwick.

Jewett and her older sister Mary inherited their grandparents' house in 1887. Decorating the house for their own use, the sisters expressed both a pride in their family's past and their own independent, sophisticated tastes. The result is an eclectic blend of eighteenth-century architecture, antiques, and old wallpapers with furnishings showing the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Jewett drew on the house for inspiration for her novel Deephaven and often wrote at the desk in the upper hall overlooking the active town center.

Please visit nearby Hamilton House, Jackson House, Governor John Langdon House, Rundlet-May House, and Sayward-Wheeler House.

Visit Sarah Orne Jewett House

Open
Friday – Sunday, June 1 – October 15
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tours on the hour. Last tour at 4:00 p.m.

Admission
$5 adults
$4 seniors
$2.50 students
Free for Historic New England members and South Berwick residents. Become a member.

Location and directions
Sarah Orne Jewett House
5 Portland Street
South Berwick, Maine 03908

Map and directions

Directions detail: From south, I-95 to Maine Exit 3; from north, after the York tolls, take Exit 2. Follow Route 236 north 10 miles to South Berwick. At intersection with Route 4, turn right. House is in center of town, where Routes 236 and 4 divide.

Parking: Ample street parking on Portland and Main Streets. Municipal lot on Portland Street within short walking distance of the house.