Historic Whipple House Is ‘Absolute Gem’

By Thomas P. Caldwell

New Hampshire boasts many noteworthy homes, known either for their architecture or for their historical significance. Some of them have both qualities — among them the Henry Whipple House in downtown Bristol.

Listed on the New Hampshire Register of Historical Places, the Whipple House is one of the few remaining authentic examples of the Queen Anne style of architecture, featuring a turret, fancy moldings, sculpted shingles, and stained glass. Now serving as a bedand-breakfast lodging facility, its historical significance lies not only in its style but also in its origins as the home of the president of the Dodge-Davis Woolen Mills.

Dodge, Davis & Co. first operated a two-story mill on the Newfound River, a building originally known as the Holden mill. The company erected a three-story building in 1884, with a storehouse and a dye and picker-house.

The company produced Shaker flannels, and Dodge-Davis employed 40 operatives to run five sets of machinery.

As the company’s owner at the turn of the century, Henry Chandler Whipple had the means to build an elegant home for himself and his wife, Lilly Josephine, in whose name the property was listed. He had the smaller house that sat on the property moved to make way for his more elaborate home. Built on a cut granite foundation, it would feature stained glass and one-over-one windows, five bronze fireplaces, exten-