Three stories of Flemish bond brick rise at 30 Middle Street: the Benedict House, also called the Thomas Penhallow House, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Built in 1810–1813, this three‑story brick house is a fine example of Federal style architecture and may be an early work of the noted local builder Jonathan Folsom. The brick is laid in Flemish bond throughout, and its workmanship is of exceptionally high quality when compared to that of other period buildings in the city.
A gabled roof tops the building, but the main entrance is its most elaborate exterior feature, with sidelights and a fanlight transom window that reward a closer look. In 1954 the house was joined to the adjacent Portsmouth Academy building when the complex housed the city's public library; that connected complex is now home to Discover Portsmouth, the local tourism promotion organization. The Benedict House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
The Academy faces north to Congress Street, while the house itself looks south toward the parking lane beside it, on the west side of Middle Street.