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Thomas Russell Hubbard House

Introduction

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Located at 220 Myrtle Street in Manchester, New Hampshire, the Thomas Russell Hubbard house is an Italian Villa-style home built in 1867 by its owner and namesake. It is believed that the design and style of the house were inspired by several writings on architecture by Andrew Jackson Downing. The Hubbard house represents Downing's ideas through the complexity of the architecture and the sophistication of the decoration as shown through ornate woodwork and complex roofing planes among other features. In Downing’s view, the home should represent the personality and the economic station of the owner, in this case, Thomas Russell Hubbard. The home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 and still remains a historical landmark in Manchester today.

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Thomas Russell Hubbard House

Building, Window, Door, Black

Thomas Russell Hubbard House

Plant, Sky, Window, Building

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

One of the most well-preserved homes in the Italian Villa style in Manchester, New Hampshire, the Thomas Russell Hubbard House was built in 1867 by the building's owner and namesake. Thomas Russell Hubbard was born into a farming family. Hubbard worked his way to the top and became the owner of a local sash, door, and blind factory, as well as a lumber yard. This home is notable due to its integrity of location, design, materials, craftsmanship, and association. 

The Thomas Russell Hubbard house is described as a sophisticated and elaborate home in the Italian Villa style. The home is a framed structure that is two and a half stories and rests on a foundation of fieldstone. Intersecting roof planes, porches, balconies, and canopies create a visually complex structure that embodies the Italian Villa style. The Thomas Russell Hubbard house is characterized by a four-story tower that serves as the focal point and main entrance of the structure. The home's interior is characterized by ornate woodworking, best shown through the arched hardwood doors, hardwood window casings, and an elaborate staircase. Many characteristics of the house remain much like they did when the house was built in 1867 with only a few cosmetic changes.

To conclude, the Thomas Russell Hubbard house serves as one of Manchester's best examples of a residence in the Italian villa style. This home also serves as a reminder of what this wealthy neighborhood once embodied during the 19th and 20th centuries. It also serves as a reminder that many of these individuals who lived in these neighborhoods in Manchester were often self-made and made names for themselves as industrialists, contractors, and investors. The architecture style of this house was meant to represent the economic station of its residences. The more ornate a structure got the higher class the resident.

Sources

Garvin, James L. “Nomination Form: Thomas Russell Hubbard House.” National Register of Historic Places. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/88000177_text

“Thomas Russell Hubbard House.” Roadtrippers. Accessed April 26, 2021. https://bit.ly/3aHAmev

Image Sources(Click to expand)

http://hubbard-varneymansion.luxury/historical-photos/

http://hubbard-varneymansion.luxury/national-register/

Additional Information