Cushing House Museum and Garden

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Cushing House Museum and Garden (circa 1808), sometimes known as the Caleb Cushing House, is a Colonial mansion with fine garden located at 98 High Street, Newburyport, Massachusetts, and now the home of the Historical Society of Old Newbury and a National Historic Landmark. Guided tours are offered many days between May 1 - October 31.

The house is a forthright, three-story brick mansion in the Federal style, with center entrance at both the front and sides, and two chimneys at each side. In shape it is a flattened cube, with five windows arranged symmetrically across both front and sides. Its main entry is crowned with a modest fanlight, echoed by a fan-shaped wooden motif atop the window above it. On the grounds, visitors will find a good 19th century garden, an herb garden, fruit trees, a summer house, cobbled yard and carriage house.

Within the house are fine collections of silver, furniture, portraits, clocks, needlework, antique fans, hatboxes, 19th century toys, and more from New England and the Orient. The Oriental Room displays early China trade decorative arts including four Chinese coastal Hong paintings. An extensive clock collection includes examples made by local master clockmakers David Wood and Daniel Balch. In the canopy bedroom stands a carved 17th century Dutch cradle and a three-sided crib. Many portrait paintings hang in the house, including a Cecelia Beaux portrait of Margaret Cushing and 1801 paintings by John Brewster, Jr., of Newburyport's Prince family. The museum also maintains a collection of area maps, photographs, and genealogical references.