September 1, 2007 - Cosmetic Site Cleanup, new fence around perimeter.
July 6, 2005 - Putting up the chainlink fence and waterproofing the interior.
July 1, 2005 - Interior cleanup begins.
June 30, 2005 - Continual progress on fencing and waterproofing the interior from further damage.
June 10, 2005 - Significant progress in removing debris and safeguarding the perimeter.
March 25, 2005 - Assessment of the Payson Mansion interior.
April 21, 2005 - Meeting of town selectmen and the Bath Historical Society.
November 16, 2004 - The effort to save history begins.

April 21, 2005

On april 21st 2005 there was a visit and tour of the Moses P. Payson Mansion by the town select persons, the Bath Historical Society, members of the New Hampshire Division of Historical Recourses, and the State Fire Marshal Office.

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27 April 2005

Mr. Charles Diamond
7 West Bath Road
Bath, New Hampshire, 03740

Re : Architectural significance of the Moses Payson Mansion, Bath, N. H.

Dear Mr. Diamond:

The Moses Payson House is unique in design and workmanship, retaining significant architectural features from its original date of construction in 1810 and from the period of its remodeling in 1864.

The Payson House is the only known example of a federal-style dwelling in New Hampshire in which the façade is marked by curved bays on each side of the central stairhall. The inner walls of some of the front rooms display a corresponding curve, giving these rooms a striking geometry. The house is also exceptional in having first-story windows that extend down to the floors of the rooms, a feature seldom seen in the early 1800s except in urban dwellings.

The Payson House is the grandest example of an important collection of brick dwellings that stand, or once stood, in Bath’s Lower and Upper Villages. These buildings reveal sophisticated architectural planning, a mastery of materials, and a high level of craftsmanship. They constitute a unique local architectural tradition.

The exceptional quality of the Moses Payson House is seen in its imposing and urbane design, its careful use of the Flemish bond in its brick walls, its carefully finished granite features, and the delicate and imaginative detailing of its original interior woodwork.

Daniel K. Jackman remodeled the house around 1864. The remodeling retained a number of federal-style features, overlaying them with highly elaborate yet compatible details of the Civil War era. All ceilings and cornices in the house were renewed, with the addition of elaborate stuccowork ornament and plaster ceiling centerpieces. The main staircase was modernized with a heavy black walnut balustrade, although the original curved treads, stringers, and stairwell walls, hallmarks of the exceptional design of the house in 1810, were retained intact. The house was re-glazed with new window sashes.

The Payson House thus exemplifies two important architectural styles and periods. The house displays exceptional design and workmanship from each of these eras. The architecture of the house reflects the stature and cultural sophistication of Moses Payson, who built the dwelling, and of Daniel Jackman, who modernized the house during the Civil War.

The Payson Mansion was severely damaged by fire in the fall of 2003. Despite the damage caused by the flames and by the subsequent partial demolition of the rear wing of the house, the building retains the ability to express both of its periods of architectural significance. The New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources (the State Historic Preservation Office) considers the preservation of the Payson Mansion to be highly important. We will provide any assistance within our power as you proceed to assess the condition of the building, to develop a plan for its stabilization, and to rehabilitate the house as a monument in local social and architectural history and as the site of future educational programming.

Sincerely,

James L. Garvin
State Architectural Historian

Cc: James McConaha, SHPO
J. William Degnan, State Fire Marshal

NHDHR/SHPO, August 2001, October 2002, January 2005

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November 16, 2004

A last minute reprieve for the Moses P. Payson Mansion offers to change its course from Demolition to Renovation.

On Tuesday, November 16th, 2004 a wrecking crane arrived and began demolition at the rear section of the building.

A local entrepreneur seeing the demolition immediatly intervened. This action has led to a new awareness in the community, and a new opportunity for preservation in the Bath Historic District.

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