Exeter in Rockingham County, New Hampshire — The American Northeast (New England)

Ladd-Gilman House

Photographed By Roger W. Sinnott, May 28, 2010

1. Ladd-Gilman House Marker

Inscription. Built about 1721 as one of New Hampshire’s earliest brick houses, and enlarged and clapboarded in the 1750s, this dwelling served as the state treasury during the Revolution. Here were born John Taylor Gilman (1753-1828), who was elected governor for an unequalled total of fourteen years, and his brother Nicholas Gilman, Jr. (1755-1814), a signer of the U. S. Constitution. The house has been maintained since 1902 by the Society of the Cincinnati.

Erected 1991 by NH Division of Historical Resources and the NH Department of Transportation. (Marker Number 161.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Notable Buildings • Patriots & Patriotism • War, US Revolutionary. In addition, it is included in the New Hampshire Historical Highway Markers series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1721.

Location. 42° 58.916′ N, 70° 56.941′ W. Marker is in Exeter, New Hampshire, in Rockingham County. Marker is on Water Street, on the right. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Exeter NH 03833, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Abraham Lincoln Speaks in New Hampshire (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Exeter NH War Memorial (about 800 feet away); Revolutionary Capital

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(about 800 feet away); Exeter Town House (about 800 feet away); Exeter NH Exeter Gas Works (approx. 0.2 miles away); Second Burial Ground (approx. 0.2 miles away); Site of the First Mill At Falls of the Squamscott River (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Folsom Tavern (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Exeter.

Regarding Ladd-Gilman House. A spectacular discovery was made in this historic building during renovations in 1985, when an alert workman noticed an aging document stashed behind insulation in the attic. It proved to be Exeter’s long-lost copy of the Declaration of Independence, which had arrived by horseback from Philadelphia on July 16, 1776.

Today the Ladd-Gilman house is the centerpiece of the American Independence Museum.

Also see . . . John Taylor Gilman Biography - New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources. (Submitted on June 3, 2010, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland.)

Photographed By James R. Murray, August 4, 2016

2. Ladd-Gilman House Marker

Marker indicating Ladd Gilman House is on the National Register of Historic Places

Wider View Looking South image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Roger W. Sinnott, May 28, 2010

3. Wider View Looking South

Looking East image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Roger W. Sinnott, May 28, 2010

4. Looking East

Photographed By James R. Murray, August 4, 2016

5. Ladd-Gilman House Marker

Additional marker inscribed State Treasury 1775-1789

Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 30, 2010, by Roger W. Sinnott of Chelmsford, Massachusetts. This page has been viewed 1,439 times since then and 28 times this year. Last updated on July 10, 2014, by Kevin Craft of Bedford, Quebec. Photos: 1. submitted on May 30, 2010, by Roger W. Sinnott of Chelmsford, Massachusetts. 2. submitted on August 4, 2016, by James R. Murray of Elkton, Florida. 3, 4. submitted on May 30, 2010, by Roger W. Sinnott of Chelmsford, Massachusetts. 5. submitted on August 4, 2016, by James R. Murray of Elkton, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.