Built in 1889 for Dr. Abel Parker Richardson (1834–1900), this house is one of Walpole’s finest expressions of late-Victorian Queen Anne architecture. The asymmetrical massing, prominent corner tower with conical roof, varied shingle textures, decorative gable ornament, and expansive wraparound porch with turned posts and balustrades are all characteristic of the style. The design emphasizes verticality and picturesque effect, while the porch unifies the façade and reflects the era’s emphasis on domestic leisure and display along Main Street.
The house stands on a historically important site long associated with the Bellows family. An earlier dwelling built by General Benjamin Bellows circa 1766 (Col. Bellows’ eldest son) occupied this lot for more than a century before passing through several owners, including Thomas Bellows, Edward Crosby, and Henry P. Foster. In 1886, the property was purchased by Dr. Abel Parker Richardson, a prominent Walpole physician. In 1888, Richardson demolished the eighteenth-century house and erected the present residence, completed in 1889.
Before entering medicine, Richardson served as principal of the Walpole High School in 1857. He received his medical degree from Dartmouth Medical College in 1864, pursued postgraduate study at Harvard, and practiced medicine in Walpole for nearly thirty years. In addition to his medical work, he served as town clerk for over three decades and was active in regional medical boards and professional societies, making him one of Walpole’s most prominent civic figures of the late nineteenth century.
Aaron Howland House 