By Bernie Marvin
The second longest combination of buildings in New Hampshire, the Wentworth-Brown House, lays at the southern end of the South Common in Haverhill Corner. After many years of intense restoration, there will be a Grand Opening on Saturday, November 7, 2026 from 11AM to 4PM, 2026. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin
Wentworth-Brown House to open doors after long reconstruction program
After eight years of intense restoration and rehabilitation, the historic Wentworth-Brown House, New Hampshire’s second-longest connected home and buildings (and a gorgeous structure!) will be holding a special celebration on Saturday, November 7, 2026 from 11AM to 4PM.
The staff and volunteers are happy to announce that with the renovations that have been done so far, the massive structure can be open for this special show-off and fundraising occasion.
According to a flyer being introduced to announce this happy occasion, the day is being planned as a fundraiser for the continuing restoration program in the house and a fund drive to construct a space “to engage the community in the visual and performing arts.
According to Board of Directors President Pat Buchanan, the day will include for the first time, the public is invited to tour the restored interior of the property. Also, the celebration includes live music, a silent auction, a raffle, cocktails, and original baked goods from Molly Sharp’s Bakestere. Organizers said they will reveal upcoming projects and program collaborations scheduled to launch in 2027.
The event is free to attend, serving as an open house and fundraiser to support the final stages of the multi-use community space. Ms. Buchanan told The Bridge Weekly that the smaller house in the succession of construction from front to back included the Little House, built in 1790 and the Main House built in 1805. She said the Main House was built by George Woodward, the grandson of Ebenezar Wheelock, founder of Dartmouth College. He ran a bank there, which was the first bank in Grafton County.
More information may be found at the Wentworth-Brown Home website: www.wentworthbrownhouse.org.
She said “We started the renovations in 2019. Major work done so far include foundation work, new sills in Little House; new roof on main house; one new fireplace rebuilt from ground up; new heating system (heat in main house), electricity hooked up in main house; water in main house; electricity outdoors; whole structure has been repainted, plus one downstairs and two small rooms upstairs repainted. “
Even though all that work has been accomplished up to this point, she said a considerable amount still has to be accomplished. Some of those tasks include a new roof on the big barn and connector, electricity in little house, refinish two upstairs bathrooms, repaint hallway, fix plaster on staircase and repaint, more lighting in big barn and reglaze the windows.
The directors’ board structure for Haverhill Heritage, Wentworth-Brown House and the Court Street Arts organizations are the same. They include Pat Buchanan as Board President; Geoff Mazullo, Vice President and Acting Secretary; Elizabeth Bayne, Treasurer; Margaret Lark Russell; Board Members Lori Conlin, Lindsay Hubbard, David Heinz and Rachel Buchanan, Executive Director.
Research for the Wentworth-Brown House includes material from many historical references, advertising materials and stories I have written over the past many years. The material notes that
The Wentworth-Brown House is a leader of historical significance in New Hampshire. It is the second longest house in New Hampshire spanning nearly 200 feet in length along the southern edge of the historic Haverhill Common, it is recognized as the second longest building in the state.
The complex consists of five connected structures. It uniquely combines a late 18th-century Georgian "Little House" and barn (c. 1790) with a much larger Federal-style home added to the front in 1805. Two mid-19th-century barns and a connecting chicken house and privy complete the continuous architecture.
The property preserves interesting period hallmarks, including a cantilevered elliptical staircase, an early Federal entryway crafted by a master joiner, a historic kitchen hearth equipped with a Rumford roaster and Bradford bake oven, and original fireplace surroundings.
The estate honors its last long-term resident WW2 US Army Air Corps Veteran Reverend Colonel James Good Brown (who lived to be 107 years old), and his lovely wife, Valerie Wentworth Brown, a direct descendant of two colonial-era New Hampshire governors.
Facing severe deferred maintenance, the estate was named to the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance's 2018 "Seven to Save" list of endangered historic resources before being rescued by Haverhill Heritage, Inc. The fully operational site will expand upon the local cultural landscape, utilizing its comfortable interior rooms and rolling outdoor lawns for performances, retreats, weddings, and educational programming.
More information regarding the preservation to this magnificent structure can be tracked directly on the official Wentworth-Brown House website which is www.wentworthbrownhouse.org.