Perkins Manor (Contoocook, New Hampshire)

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Perkins Manor is a historic house in Contoocook, New Hampshire. It was completed in 1825 and is now eight residential units, the largest in Contoocook.

Birthplace of Commodore George H. Perkins
The house is famous as the birthplace of George Hamilton Perkins, who would become Commodore George H. Perkins. He was born here in 1835. When he was eight, the family moved to Boston.

Early history
In 1825, Roger Eliot Perkins built Perkins Manor on land bought from Native people. The property passed to his son, Hamilton Eliot Perkins, a lawyer who ran mills in Contoocookville along the Contoocook River. Hamilton married Clara Bartlett George, and their son George H. Perkins was born in the house.

Isabel Weld Perkins and the house as a public highlight
After her father’s death, Isabel Weld Perkins (also known as Isabel Anderson) bought the house from the estate and opened it to the public for a few summers. Visitors were greeted by a crystal chandelier, red-carpet stairs, and two formal parlors—one red velvet and one blue velvet. The dining room was large and filled with antiques, and there was a large kitchen with many shelves and a pantry. The upstairs had a spacious hall and four large bedrooms, each elegantly furnished. Isabel sometimes stayed there, but she preferred a small rustic summer camp in southern New Hampshire as her writing retreat.

Today
Perkins Manor is now an eight-unit apartment building and the largest residential structure in Contoocook.