 |
Wentworth-Gardner Association Records (1753-1781, 1939-1975) – MS043 Provenance: On deposit from the Wentworth-Gardner - Tobias Lear House Association Citation: Wentworth-Gardner Association Records, MS043, Portsmouth Athenaeum Size: .25 linear feet (½ Hollinger box) Access: No restrictions Processed by: Processed by Lindsay Wycoff and Susan Stowe Kindstedt, October 2004 Scope and Content The records include both collection pieces and institutional records. Collections pieces all relate to Samuel Hale of Portsmouth. The majority of the records are institutional papers including correspondence related to collections pieces (donations and loans). There are also papers related to the operations of the museum, tours, events, etc. as well as maintenance of the houses, painting, wallpapering, etc. The collection also includes financial materials and tax returns. Historical Note The Wentworth-Gardner House was built ca. 1760 as a wedding gift for Thomas Wentworth (1740-1768). Major William Gardner purchased the house in 1793. After changing hands several times during the nineteenth century the house was purchased by Wallace Nutting in 1915. In 1918 Nutting sold the house to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The museum had plans of moving the house to New York as an exhibit. A local group formed to save the house and by 1940 the Association had purchased the Wentworth-Gardner House and the nearby Tobias Lear House. The Tobias Lear House was built ca. 1740 by Tobias Lear (the third). Later it was home to Tobias Lear (the fifth) who served as secretary to George Washington. Series List
I. Collection pieces – Samuel Hale Materials Box 1 Folder 1 Samuel Hale Papers 1753-1781 1753 Oct. 3 Joseph Atkinson, Newbury to Samuel Hale, “Piscataqua,” announcing the death of Enoch Robinson and two of the Atkinson children. 1755 Oct. 14 John Noyes, Newbury to Samuel Hale, Portsmouth, desiring a letter from Hale, interested in reading books. 1756 July 1 Samuel Hale estate information concerning Thomas Wright and Thomas Parker 1756 July 2 Samuel Hale and George King agreement concerning purchase of wheat 1773 Jan. 14 Samuel Hale petition to Governor John Wentworth regarding an “unimprovable tract of land” that Hale was granted, outlines the financial hardships Hale was facing due to poor crop production 1781 March 24 Receipt for Samuel Hale from the town of Portsmouth II. Institutional records Box 1 Folder 2 Collections Correspondence 1939-1949 Folder 3 Collections Correspondence 1950-1972 Folder 4 Collection Inventories, part 1 Folder 5 Collection Inventories, part 2 Folder 6 Museum operations Folder 7 Meeting minutes 1939-1941 Folder 8 Research requests Folder 9 Financial Folder 10 Tax documents 1964-1975 Folder 11 Cancelled checks Folder 12 Lear House Deed 1940 |