History

The Charles Treadwell House (also known as The John Davenport House) has a colorful history. Originally built in 1758 by the late Charles and Mary Treadwell, it has at various times served as an inn or rooming house, originally at the corner of Fleet and State Streets. The building was named for both Charles and Mary’s son, Nathaniel as well as John Davenport, a Boston silversmith. Davenport lived in the building upon moving to Portsmouth in the late 1790's - early 1800's. Originally working to shape shoe buckles, John Davenport came to own another building in town on the Corner of Penhallow & State Street. Once he was established and moved elsewhere, he converted this building into The Davenport Hotel circa 1810.

A short time later, in anticipation of a British invasion during The War of 1812, New Hampshire Governor John Taylor Gilman converted the building into his military headquarters. When the invasion never came and the war subsided, the building was transferred to The Mechanic Association in the mid-1800s. It was then the home of the Portsmouth Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) during the mid-twentieth century (1920-1949). Faced with its demolition to make way for what is now the TD Bank at 321 State Street, it was relocated to its current location by Attorney Waldron and his partners c.1957.After the building was moved it was primarily used as a law office. In March 2022, The Samonas Family bought it and restored the finishes to become The Davenport Inn.

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