General John Stark House

The General John Stark house is a historic home and museum located in Manchester, New Hampshire. The house was built by Archibald Stark on his farm in 1736 and was the home of Archibald’s son John Stark until 1765. This home is notable due to its embodiment of the traditional New England Cape-style house, which is characterized by a center-chimney floor plan with a door that is centrally located with an entrance hall that leads to a north and a south parlor, a centrally located kitchen, and three more rooms along the rear. The second floor of the home contains two bedrooms and a bathroom. Both the interior and the exterior are modest in decoration. The home still retains its structural integrity after being moved to a different spot of the Stark farm. 

John Stark was a New Hampshire native who was born in Derry Village and grew up on the Stark farm in New Hampshire. Stark participated in many outdoor and frontier-focused activities during his youth, including hunting, fishing, and Indian fighting. His experiences with these activities and his developing stature encouraged him to join the Continental army. Stark served during the French and Indian War as a lieutenant and participated in the battle of Lake George, and also participated in an assault on Fort Ticonderoga in 1758. Stark also served during the American Revolutionary War, where he participated in the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the Battle of Bunker Hill. During the Revolution, Stark was promoted and became a colonel of the Continental army. After he participated in both the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War, Stark returned to his farm in Manchester and his wife and eleven children. Stark is well known throughout New Hampshire for not only his participation in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution but also for coining the New Hampshire state motto, “Live Free or Die.” John Stark’s wife Molly is a notable actor in the American Revolution in her own right as well. She became notable from her husband's battle cry in the Battle of Bennington. She is also a significant actor in the recruitment of many Revolutionary soldiers and caring for many wounded soldiers.

After the family sold the property in 1821, the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company acquired the property and was used as tenant housing for the mill workers. During this period, the Gen. John Stark house became run down. Eventually, the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company donated the house to the Daughters of the American Revolution. The Daughters of the American Revolution renovated and restored the home. The home was also moved from its original location on the farm to make room for the Amoskeag bridge. However, the home remains on a different section of the Stark farm. As of the 1970s, the General John Stark House serves as a meeting spot for the Daughters of the American Revolution and as a local historical museum. 

To conclude, the General John Stark house serves as an important example of what a traditional New England cape-style house built during the 18th century is like, while also providing a view of what life was like during that period as well. The John Stark house also serves as a memorial to the Stark family, specifically John Stark, who heroically served in the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War.

Tarrant, Isabel. “Nomination Form: General John Stark House” National Register of Historic Places.

https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/73000166_text 

“Gen. John Stark House.” Roadtrippers. Accessed April 26th, 2021. https://bit.ly/2RWuCqK

"Molly Stark State Park", Vermont State Parks. Accessed April 28th, 2021. https://www.vtstateparks.com/mollystark.html.