Notice the symmetrical facade at 364 Middle Street, where four chimneys and a wooden balustrade crown James Rundlet's 1807 mansion. Its low-pitch hip roof is ringed by a wooden balustrade; the wooden clapboard siding, the symmetrical four chimneys—two on each side—and the five-bay main facade all speak to a careful, formal design. The center entrance is framed by sidelights and a fanlight that welcome you into a house originally built for a wealthy merchant.
James Rundlet built the house in 1807 after acquiring his wealth in the textile trade; he imported wallpapers from England and purchased furniture from local cabinetmakers. The house’s particular significance comes from the survival of early documentation related to its construction, material that helps explain choices like the imported papers and bespoke furnishings. Today the Rundlet-May House is owned by Historic New England and is open seasonally for tours; it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
This stretch of Middle Street, now a quiet residential corridor south of downtown Portsmouth, still keeps the clapboards, balustrade, and chimneys that once framed your walk to James Rundlet's door.