History and architecture
This fine brick, Federal town house is significant as the last of the row of elegant town houses which once lined State Street. It is three stories high with an attic and is set on a stone basement. The unusual feature of this house is in the portion added in 1806 where there is a great curved portico which follows the curve of State Street. At the first floor level the portico has square wooden columns, and the part above has circular Ionic columns, believed to have been made from ships masts.
As restored today, on the basis of a print from Valentines Manual of 1859, the house has been returned to its original appearance with its fine cornices, distinctive second floor porch windows and its attractive railing (balustrade) at the edge of the roof. This building is notable for its remarkable oval windows in the west wall, for its splayed window lintels and for the fine rectangular and oval panels of stone set between the windows.
At the public hearing, the architect of the 1965 restoration said, in referring to the Watson House, "While it was an important city residence when it was built, its preservation to this day is a near miracle; and the present owner, appreciating its architectural merit and historic importance, has spared no pains or expense to maintain the building and restore it insofar as possible to its original appearance."
Sources and further reading
This history comes from the Landmarks app’s historical catalog. Names and building uses may reflect the period described.