Hathaway House, Laconia New Hampshire

History of Hathaway House

Built in 1872 for Samuel C. Clark, prominent local citizen, the Hathaway House is an Italianate style house with elaborate, high-style detailing. Clark was a local lawyer and politician who helped develop the Lakeport region of Laconia. From 1957 to 1999, the house became a retail establishment, with minimal changes to the exterior of the building.

Dating from 1872, the Italianate dwelling was constructed as the home for Samuel C. Clark (1832-1897). The building was located on the site of the home of Clark's parents, which Clark purchased in 1871 in order to build his home. A beam in the attic notes the construction date of July 19^th, 1872, and is signed by L.P. Preston of Rumney.

At the time, Clark was a prominent Laconia lawyer, and practiced in the village of Lakeport until 1857, when he accepted a position as Superior Court clerk for Belknap County, which he served until 1874. He later served as a member of the New Hampshire Legislature (1867-1868; 1875), and as clerk in the House of Representatives from 1870-1875.

Following his service in the Legislature and House of Representatives, Clark continued his career as a lawyer in Lakeport, where he had built an office not far from his home. He was a pillar of the community, and was familiarly known as "Squire Clark". He was active in the community, particularly the village of Lakeport, and helped bring a number of businesses to the area. The Lakeport Dam was constructed in 1861, aiding in the mills located along Paugus Bay and in Lakeport the Samuel C. Clark canal along the dam was named after Clark for his involvement in the project. Clark was predominant in the founding of the Laconia National Bank and the Lake Village Savings Bank, serving as director at each institution. In 1881 he was an advocate for the construction of the Laconia and Lake Village Horse Railroad, a 2½ mile track connecting downtown Laconia with the steamboat landing in Lake Village. This spurred the local economy and industry by connecting the area with other industrial organizations in the Lakes Region and Belknap County. In short, he was "a man of influence in the community, and was chosen by his fellow citizens to various offices of importance"

A lifelong resident, Clark was supremely interested in the economy and industry of the area. Multiple industrial buildings were located in Lakeport, including the Cole Manufacturing Company, hosiery mills, and the Wardwall Needie Company. These mills operated in large part due to the Lakeport Dam, which Clark helped to finance. He brought the first horse-drawn railroad to Lakeport, connecting it with multiple other economic opportunities across the Lakes Region. He founded the Laconia National Bank and Lake Village Savings Bank, thus providing further business opportunities for Lakeport residents and merchants alike.

As his influence around the Lakes Region increased, Clark considered running for governor. He constructed the Hathaway House with visions that it would one day be the governor's mansion. His contribution to his community was immense, and his influence dictated the success of the area long after his death in 1897. Clark Avenue, located a short distance from his home, is just one testament of his enduring legacy in Lakeport and Laconia.

Following his death in 1897, the house and surrounding 60 acres, were passed to his wife Clarissa. Following her death in 1901, and the death of Samuel C. Clark Jr. later that same year, the property passed to Clark's daughter, Claribel. Claribel gradually sold off portions of the estate, notably teasing a large portion to the north of the property in 1918 to Irvin Chase and William Veasey to establish a box and lumber company. Having never married, Claribel Clark managed the estate, including considerable lumber land and was able to spend her life traveling extensively throughout Europe. During her travels, she used the home primarily as a summer residence.

Following Claribel's death in 1953, the home changed ownership a number of times. Richard and Constance St. Clair purchased the home in 1957, and opened a clothing store named "The Hathaway House', after the popular Hathaway Shirt carried in the store. The St. Clair's later added the Hathaway House Restaurant, and in 1984-1991, Summerfield's Restaurant operated in the adjacent carriage house on the property. The carriage house burned in 1991. Up until 1999 the building housed various businesses including Florence Cummins Real Estate, Plant Petalers, and Star Gaze Pool & Spa. It remained vacant after 1989.

Due to the development of the business area along Union Avenue, and the recent retail development on the property, the Hathaway House lost its integrity of setting and feeling. The building was in a poor state of decay, due to deterioration, vandalism, and neglect. The original carriage house has been lost, and smaller additions to the west of the structure have diminished the integrity of design, though it was not entirely lost.

Tragically, various attempts to save the home failed, and it was demolished in August 2014.

Plan to demolish Hathaway House, redevelop lot approved (Aug 6, 2014)

Saving old buildings (Nov 4, 2017)

Building Description

The residence at 1106 Union Avenue, known as the Hathaway House, consists of a main block with wing, and originally had a 2-story connected carriage house with cupola. The carriage house burned in 1991, and was replaced with a greenhouse, which was later demolished.

The 2½ story building sits on a cut granite foundation, has wood clapboard siding, and a side gable roof with slate shingles and centered gable on the south facade. A two-story wing is located on the west elevation, and two modern one-story additions to the west of the wing. The main building has a single interior chimney at both ends, and the wing has a centered interior chimney. All three chimneys are brick with decorative brick work. The building and wing has paneled corner boards that extend to a wide cornice with paired decorative brackets.

The main block of the building measures 43 feet by 30 feet and the main entry is centered on the south facade. The paired doors are paneled beneath large-pane glazing. The single story entry porch has decorative balustrades, and a bracketed cornice supported by fluted columns and decorative corner brackets. The porch itself extends into the cornice of flanking bay windows. These matching bay windows feature decorative carving in their lower panels on the second story. Identical paneled pilasters flank a paired window located beneath the centered gable. The wide cornice within the centered gable has multiple brackets and cornice returns. The centered gable also contains a decorative triangular wood panel. The paired window has a decorative pediment crown supported by brackets. The windows on either side of the paired window have simple crowns supported by single brackets. Ail of the windows on this facade have been replaced with 1/1 vinyl windows. The upper story windows have louvered wood shutters.

The east elevation is two bays wide, with two large windows projecting slightly from the first story. These windows have a low-pitched hipped roof pediment supported by brackets. The windows once had multi-paned glass, but there is currently plywood in the window openings. The second story windows have simple crowns supported by single brackets, decorative wood shutters, and 1/1 replacement windows. Two windows located in the gable are smaller versions on the second story, with flat hoods supported by brackets, decorative wood shutters, and 6/6 replacement windows.

The west elevation is three bays wide, with a centered paneled entry door. This entry, along with the first and second story windows, has the same bracketed crown seen on the other elevations of the building. The windows have louvered wood shutters and have 1/1 replacement windows.

A two story wing is located to the west of the main black and measures 28 feet by 21 feet. The south elevation of the wing has a one story porch with a bracketed cornice and decorative corner boards supported by square posts with beveled corners. A paneled door with glazing is off-center on the first story of the south elevation, with two windows to the east and a single window to the west. These windows, entry, and three windows on the second story each have an identical crown supported by single brackets as seen on the other elevations. The windows have also been replaced with 1/1 vinyl replacements, louvered wood shutters on the first story, and decorative wood shutters on the second story.

The north elevation of the wing has two windows on the first story, and two windows on the second story. A door on the second story was likely once a window, and was converted to an emergency egress. All of the openings have the simple crown supported by brackets; windows are 1/1 replacement with decorative wood shutters. The west elevation of the wing has cornice returns and a small window in the gable, with a 6/6 vinyl replacement.

West of the wing are two one-story additions that were likely constructed at the same time. They are offset from each other and the wing, with the larger addition located adjacent to the wing. The additions are on poured concrete block foundations, have flush wood board siding, and asphalt shingles covering the side-gable roofs. The south elevation of the addition closest to the wing has a recessed entry beneath a small gabled vestibule, and contains a modern aluminum paneled and glass dear. Single pane windows are located on the west elevation of this addition, and on the south and west elevation of the adjacent addition. The north side of the larger addition contains a modern garage door, and handicap access ramp.

On the north side of the property is a cleared parcel with gravel drive; west of the building is the former railroad line and Paugus Bay. The south of the building once had a circular drive and fountain. In 2010, the fountain was removed and land cleared to construct a one-story fast food restaurant (Dunkin' Donuts) and paved parking lot. Previously, the property had a fence surrounding the lot and a large entry gate. Several mature trees remain on the property, though much of the landscaping is overgrown and encroaching vines are noticeable on all elevations of the building. The immediate surrounding area has been developed over the recent decades, with multiple businesses developing both north and south of the property along Union Ave. A few residences remain on Union Avenue, with residential neighborhoods located further to the east.

According the Laconia Heritage Commission and Charlie St. Clair, a former resident of the Hathaway House, much of the architectural detail of the interior was intact, including tin ceiling, chandelier, marble fireplaces, and black walnut woodwork.

Photographs of Hathaway House