| © 2012 Thompson House Eatery - 193 Main Street Jackson, NH 03846 For Reservations: 603.383.9341 |
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The Homestead
Sometime between 1790 and 1810 a homestead was built up on a flat piece of ground (a rare commodity in
this area) between the Ellis and Wildcat Rivers. The original farm sat on 100 acres. The farmhouse and
barns were thoughtfully located in their current positions taking full advantage of fertile ground, easy
access to water (the Ellis River), outstanding southern exposure, and an ideal location on a “major”
roadway. This road now known to me as “Willow Lane” leads from Route 16A to the edge of the Ellis River
just north of the golf course covered bridge where it once crossed the river. The current Routes 16 and 16A
were then part of the fields belonging to the farm.
Harry S. Thompson and his wife Alice King were the most noteworthy owners of the property. Harry was a
prominent lawyer in North Conway having an office on Pine Street. Alice was an R.N. and a masseuse.
They used the farm as a summer residence for sometime until Harry retired. Once he moved to Jackson full
time, Harry assumed many duties. He was the cemetery caretaker & ran a “livery” service between the
North Conway and Glen train stations bringing passengers and goods to and from Jackson. He also ran a
general store and eventually became the Innkeeper of the Fairview Hotel that stood across the street from
his house, now condominiums.
Harry and Alice were considered prosperous and lived a good, albeit hardworking life here for many years.
Their son Nick inherited the farm, which he eventually sold to legendary Jackson resident, Dick May, from
whom I purchased it and to whom I will be forever grateful.
The Barns
Both of the barns on the property are fine examples of English “scribe ruled” construction. We know by
the existence of the “eave side” entry doors that the smaller attached barn pre-dates the larger out barn.
We know this because the eave side entry doors would not have been a practical feature in snow country
and were soon corrected in the construction of the second detached barn. The gable end doorways being
better protected and more easily accessed also provided for more usable interior space. A carriage barn
connected the first barn to the house. It had 2 doorways, one on either side of the barn so the horses could
bring the carriage into the barn on one side and leave by passing straight thru the other side. This way they
didn’t have to back the team up. (This area is now known fondly to us as “the bricks” located next to the
bar.)
The barns supported life on the farm by providing shelter for animals, feed, farm tools, and provisions of
various kinds. Barns, once a vital and essential part of agricultural life, are now in danger of disappearing
from our rural landscapes forever.
The Thompson House
The center chimney cape, circa 1790 – 1810 represents a fine example of a unique style of construction
know as “plank” construction and is one of only a handful remaining in the state. The timber frame, made
of locally grown “original” first growth spruce and hemlock, is held together by 4” thick vertical planks that
are pegged into the framing timbers and scribed into the sills. The doorways and windows were then cut
out. This unique style of construction made for an extremely strong structure and no corner bracing was
ever needed. It also added a good deal of warmth because of the solid construction of the walls. The rafters
that tie the frame together span the full 30’ width of the house from outside wall to outside wall. The inside
walls were then covered with split board and horse hair plaster. “Split board” which pre-dates “lathing,”
was a method of plastering that required fixing random-width boards to a wall and then, using a hatchet,
split the boards to create voids or “keys” for the plaster to adhere to. The addition of horsehair
strengthened the plaster much the same as fiberglass is used today in cement products.
The heart and soul of the home is a massive center chimney with 3 working fireplaces and a bake oven.
The main fireplace, a Rumford style, with an arched fireback was used as the kitchen “stove.” The large
crane and gutchens held the cook pots and laundry pots. The bake oven had its’ own flue and ash pit. The
ashes were saved for such things as the making of soap and keeping slippery walkways passable. The
other 2 fireplaces provided heat and auxiliary cooking space. Fires were kept burning 24hours a day. This
massive structure is held up by huge granite block cribbing. The fireplaces and bake oven have been
completely restored to their original condition.
The floors were made of pine and hemlock, laid sometimes 3 layers thick, and, over the years, painted with
more layers of paint than I cared to count while removing them! They now lay, clean and smooth made from
planks up to 25 inches wide, as a proud reminder of the remarkable craftsmanship of the past.
The doors, of which there are many, allowed rooms to be isolated for heating purposes. They are mostly
raised 5-panel construction; pegged not nailed. Their rich “pumpkin” color is a beauty only time can reveal.
All of the pieces of hardware on the doors are handmade, original “Norfolk” period thumb latches.
The original windows are 9/6 hand-blown “wavy” glass. The front of the house that now faces the lane
(once the main road), received a face-lift in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s when the windows were changed
to a 2/2 style. This was thought to be more modern and prestigious. Larger pieces of glass were more
difficult to come by in the Colonial times, especially this far from a seaport. At the same time, an “A” dormer
was added over the front door creating a new look and more usable space upstairs. This was the only
significant change made to the original structure in almost 200 yrs.! Remarkable!!
Sometime later a room was added that connected the carriage barn ell to the main house. Although it was
built in traditional post and beam construction it was not plank framed. The interior walls were covered with
regular lathing and horsehair plaster. This new room was built with a significant feature; a single chimney
that was made to accommodate a wood fired cook stove and thus became the houses’ second kitchen. We
know that at some point there was a kitchen fire that scared the ceiling and charred the beams. It seems
likely that there must have been a water pump near by perhaps in the adjacent ell. If not the whole complex
could have been consumed. If only the walls could talk.
The basement, under the original house, was used for cold storage as its large granite blocks and cool
earthen floor kept the farm products viable year round. Harry added a room for his homemade “hooch”
which now, appropriately so, serves as our wine cellar. Oh yes, Harry did like his “hooch!” His recipe
remains with us today - although, no one has dared try it since.
Sometime between 1790 and 1810 a homestead was built up on a flat piece of ground (a rare commodity in
this area) between the Ellis and Wildcat Rivers. The original farm sat on 100 acres. The farmhouse and
barns were thoughtfully located in their current positions taking full advantage of fertile ground, easy
access to water (the Ellis River), outstanding southern exposure, and an ideal location on a “major”
roadway. This road now known to me as “Willow Lane” leads from Route 16A to the edge of the Ellis River
just north of the golf course covered bridge where it once crossed the river. The current Routes 16 and 16A
were then part of the fields belonging to the farm.
Harry S. Thompson and his wife Alice King were the most noteworthy owners of the property. Harry was a
prominent lawyer in North Conway having an office on Pine Street. Alice was an R.N. and a masseuse.
They used the farm as a summer residence for sometime until Harry retired. Once he moved to Jackson full
time, Harry assumed many duties. He was the cemetery caretaker & ran a “livery” service between the
North Conway and Glen train stations bringing passengers and goods to and from Jackson. He also ran a
general store and eventually became the Innkeeper of the Fairview Hotel that stood across the street from
his house, now condominiums.
Harry and Alice were considered prosperous and lived a good, albeit hardworking life here for many years.
Their son Nick inherited the farm, which he eventually sold to legendary Jackson resident, Dick May, from
whom I purchased it and to whom I will be forever grateful.
The Barns
Both of the barns on the property are fine examples of English “scribe ruled” construction. We know by
the existence of the “eave side” entry doors that the smaller attached barn pre-dates the larger out barn.
We know this because the eave side entry doors would not have been a practical feature in snow country
and were soon corrected in the construction of the second detached barn. The gable end doorways being
better protected and more easily accessed also provided for more usable interior space. A carriage barn
connected the first barn to the house. It had 2 doorways, one on either side of the barn so the horses could
bring the carriage into the barn on one side and leave by passing straight thru the other side. This way they
didn’t have to back the team up. (This area is now known fondly to us as “the bricks” located next to the
bar.)
The barns supported life on the farm by providing shelter for animals, feed, farm tools, and provisions of
various kinds. Barns, once a vital and essential part of agricultural life, are now in danger of disappearing
from our rural landscapes forever.
The Thompson House
The center chimney cape, circa 1790 – 1810 represents a fine example of a unique style of construction
know as “plank” construction and is one of only a handful remaining in the state. The timber frame, made
of locally grown “original” first growth spruce and hemlock, is held together by 4” thick vertical planks that
are pegged into the framing timbers and scribed into the sills. The doorways and windows were then cut
out. This unique style of construction made for an extremely strong structure and no corner bracing was
ever needed. It also added a good deal of warmth because of the solid construction of the walls. The rafters
that tie the frame together span the full 30’ width of the house from outside wall to outside wall. The inside
walls were then covered with split board and horse hair plaster. “Split board” which pre-dates “lathing,”
was a method of plastering that required fixing random-width boards to a wall and then, using a hatchet,
split the boards to create voids or “keys” for the plaster to adhere to. The addition of horsehair
strengthened the plaster much the same as fiberglass is used today in cement products.
The heart and soul of the home is a massive center chimney with 3 working fireplaces and a bake oven.
The main fireplace, a Rumford style, with an arched fireback was used as the kitchen “stove.” The large
crane and gutchens held the cook pots and laundry pots. The bake oven had its’ own flue and ash pit. The
ashes were saved for such things as the making of soap and keeping slippery walkways passable. The
other 2 fireplaces provided heat and auxiliary cooking space. Fires were kept burning 24hours a day. This
massive structure is held up by huge granite block cribbing. The fireplaces and bake oven have been
completely restored to their original condition.
The floors were made of pine and hemlock, laid sometimes 3 layers thick, and, over the years, painted with
more layers of paint than I cared to count while removing them! They now lay, clean and smooth made from
planks up to 25 inches wide, as a proud reminder of the remarkable craftsmanship of the past.
The doors, of which there are many, allowed rooms to be isolated for heating purposes. They are mostly
raised 5-panel construction; pegged not nailed. Their rich “pumpkin” color is a beauty only time can reveal.
All of the pieces of hardware on the doors are handmade, original “Norfolk” period thumb latches.
The original windows are 9/6 hand-blown “wavy” glass. The front of the house that now faces the lane
(once the main road), received a face-lift in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s when the windows were changed
to a 2/2 style. This was thought to be more modern and prestigious. Larger pieces of glass were more
difficult to come by in the Colonial times, especially this far from a seaport. At the same time, an “A” dormer
was added over the front door creating a new look and more usable space upstairs. This was the only
significant change made to the original structure in almost 200 yrs.! Remarkable!!
Sometime later a room was added that connected the carriage barn ell to the main house. Although it was
built in traditional post and beam construction it was not plank framed. The interior walls were covered with
regular lathing and horsehair plaster. This new room was built with a significant feature; a single chimney
that was made to accommodate a wood fired cook stove and thus became the houses’ second kitchen. We
know that at some point there was a kitchen fire that scared the ceiling and charred the beams. It seems
likely that there must have been a water pump near by perhaps in the adjacent ell. If not the whole complex
could have been consumed. If only the walls could talk.
The basement, under the original house, was used for cold storage as its large granite blocks and cool
earthen floor kept the farm products viable year round. Harry added a room for his homemade “hooch”
which now, appropriately so, serves as our wine cellar. Oh yes, Harry did like his “hooch!” His recipe
remains with us today - although, no one has dared try it since.
| "Casual Fine Dining in Jackson, NH" |
| Serving Lunch Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 11:30-3:00 Serving Dinner Wednesday - Sunday Opening at 5:30 603.383.9341 Call for Catering Information |