Roger Sullivan House

Located at 168 Walnut Street in Manchester, New Hampshire, the 2-1/2 story wood-framed building known as the Roger Sullivan House is an exquisite example of Queen Anne design, with its varied roofs, porches, chimneys, and bays. Built in 1892, the main house—there is also an adjoining carriage house on the property—displays distinct decorative detailing both internally and externally. Although the house is not currently open to the public (it is still used for domestic purposes), the house is documented to feature eighteen rooms of exquisite ornamentation, including stained glass, millwork, ornamental flooring, and tilework. As a result of the house’s architectural significance, as well as historical, the house was inducted into the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. 

Over a hundred years earlier, for the design and construction of this residence, two of the city’s most prolific and respected practitioners were commissioned. The builder of the house was Wilberforce Ireland, one of Manchester’s (and the greater New England’s) leading contractors. Prior to building the Roger Sullivan House, which was one of his last jobs, Ireland had helped construct various downtown blocks, corporations, boarding houses, Engine Houses (Lake Avenue and General Stark), and numerous private residences (such as for Frank Carpenter) throughout Manchester. He was also the foreman for Alpheus Gay, a prominent building contractor in the area. However, for the Roger Sullivan House, Ireland worked directly with William M. Butterfield. For more than 50 years (late 19th and early 20th century), Butterfield was the area’s most prolific architect. By 1895 he had designed 500 buildings throughout New England. In Manchester specifically, Butterfield was most known for designing residences for many of the city’s most prominent and wealthy citizens. Roger Sullivan among them. 

Born in 1854, Roger G. Sullivan was the owner of one of the nation’s largest nationally distributed cigar manufacturers. Based in Manchester, New Hampshire, his products were well known all across the United States. By the time of his death in 1918, Sullivan’s factory (a six-story facility at 114 West Central Street) churned out roughly 200,000 cigars a day, specially crafted by over a thousand employees. However, that was not always the case. When Sullivan first opened his cigar factory (at 724 Elm Street), only about three cigar makers were employed.

Beyond his success as a cigar manufacturer, Sullivan also served locally as the director of the Amoskeag National Bank, the Manchester Traction, Light and Power Company, and the New Hampshire Fire Insurance Company. Additionally, outside of business ventures, Sullivan was well regarded as a philanthropist and an active community member. He had donated a window to St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Manchester, was a trustee for the Manchester Public Library, and, upon his death, donated roughly three million dollars (adjusted for today’s inflation) to various charities and institutions (hospitals and orphanages).

https://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2008/08/11/manchester-new-hampshire-cigar-manufacturer-director-and-philanthropist-roger-g-sullivan-1854-1918/

https://maps.roadtrippers.com/us/manchester-nh/points-of-interest/roger-sullivan-house

https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/8870ad8e-2d58-49c5-a1bb-447277fdbeff

https://faculty.wcas.northwestern.edu/~infocom/scndempr/school.html