Sarah Orne Jewett House, 1774
A National Historic Landmark
5 Portland Street
South Berwick, Me. 03908
(207) 384-2454
Directions
Open: June 1 through October 15
Friday through Sunday
Tours at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Admission: $5, Historic New England members and South Berwick residents free
Writer Sarah Orne Jewett spent much of her life in this
stately Georgian residence, owned by her family since 1819. The view from her
desk in the second-floor hall surveys the town's major intersection and provided
her with material for her books, such as The Country of the Pointed Firs, which
describe the character of the Maine countryside and seacoast with accuracy and
affection.
In decorating the house for their own use, Miss
Jewett and her sister expressed both a pride in their family's past and their
own independent, sophisticated tastes. The result is an eclectic blend of
18th-century architecture, antiques, and old wallpapers with furnishings showing
the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement.
Sarah Orne Jewett was also instrumental in preserving the Hamilton House, which she used as the setting for her
historical romance, The Tory Lover. While in South Berwick, be sure to visit the Hamilton House
as well as these nearby Historic New England properties: Sayward-Wheeler House,
Gilman Garrison House, Governor John Langdon House,
Jackson House and Rundlet-May House.
Directions: Take I-95 to Maine Exit 3; Follow Route 236 north 10 miles to
South Berwick. At the intersection with Route 4, turn right. Jewett House is in the center
of town where Routes 236 and 4 divide.
Discover more about the Sarah Orne Jewett House in the Historic
New England magazine archives:
