The Height of Luxury

James Rundlet wasn't much of a cook. Still, as a forward-thinking man, he outfitted the kitchen of the Federal-style mansion he built in 1807 with the latest technologies. His Portsmouth, New Hampshire, house held one of the most modern kitchens in the country, and certainly the most advanced in town, equipped as it was with a Rumford Roaster and a Rumford Range. Rather than cook in one kettle over a single fire, Rundlet's staff could roast meat in the oven and cook in three separate pots on the stove.

The son of a farmer, Rundlet moved to Portsmouth when he was twenty-two, seeking the fortune that working in the fields couldn't provide. In a little more than a decade, he grew wealthy as a textile merchant, then grew richer still on a series of wise investments. As a testament to his success, he set out to build a fine home for himself, his wife, Jane, and their growing family (the couple would have thirteen children, ten of whom lived into adulthood).

Rundlet's property included a small hill, which he raised by bringing in topsoil so that the stonework terrace fronting the house towered eight feet above the street. Building on high ground had several advantages, but what impressed Rundlet the most was that passersby would have to look up to see his house. Its stature would surely point to his important position in the community.

His efforts served their intended purpose; his grand mansion was the subject of much conversation among the townsfolk. His 1852 obituary read, “He built for himself one of the best and largest houses in the place, finely situated, imposing in appearance and an object of envy to many who predicted with wise nods that so much pride must have a fall and concluded that he had built his house too high—but they happen to have been mistaken.”

History doesn't tell whether Rundlet hired an architect to build his three-story house, but extensive account books show that he hired skilled joiners and craftsmen from the area who contributed to the design. He also hired the finest local craftsmen to decorate the interiors, including master cabinetmaker Langley Boardman, acclaimed for his high-style figured maple and mahogany furniture. Among the pieces Boardman created for the house are a set of eight elegant square-back dining chairs covered in horsehair, a lolling chair, a bowfront chest of drawers and another chest with serpentine front drawers and canted corners.

While most of the home's furnishings were American-made, Rundlet imported wallpaper, draperies and carpeting from England. The wallpaper in the front parlor, “Peach Damask” with “Paris Flock Border,” still adorns the walls, more than two hundred years after it was hung.

Rundlet held modern convenience in high regard, but he insisted on functionality, too. In the kitchen, an elaborate venting system directed smoke from the fireplace flue to a third- floor smoke chamber to cure meat. Other high-tech luxuries included an indoor well, one of the earliest coal-fired central heating systems and a privy decorated with flocked wallpaper that was attached to the house.

Although Rundlet's house was one of the most innovative of the era, he adhered to tradition in his landscaping. “His garden design was Colonial Revival, a mixture of fruit, flowers and vegetables,” Farish says.

The carriage house, stables and outbuildings formed a service court to the east of the house, while the gardens sat to the west. Rundlet acted as his own landscape designer, angling paths and beds to make his grid plan fit the slightly irregular shape of the lot. A geometric system of paths, fences and rows of shrubs defined the space. Formal terraces, gravel walks on two levels and vast orchards created an idyllic setting.

Rundlet's textile company made uniforms for the War of 1812, and by the 1820s, his wealth enabled him to retire. He spent the last twenty-five years of his life enjoying his home on the hill. His financial legacy went on to support the next three generations of Rundlets.

For more than a century following Rundlet's death, his family members lived in the house with the original handcrafted furnishings, paint colors and imported wallpapers he so carefully selected. Most of the contents and decorative elements remain largely intact today; the house has one of the finest collections of Federal-style pieces associated with a single property.

Rundlet's house on the hill presides as ever over its neighborhood. Undoubtedly, he would have felt great pride in that.

EDITOR'S NOTE  Rundlet-May House is open the first and third Saturday of the month from June through October 15, with tours at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. $6 (free to Historic New England members). 364 Middle St., Portsmouth, N.H., (603) 430-7531