42 Old North Main Street — Josiah Bellows III House

Built around 1814, this distinguished Georgian/Federal residence was constructed for Josiah Bellows III (1788–1842), son of Josiah Bellows II (1767-1846) and Rebekah Sparhawk (1768-1792), and a prominent figure in early nineteenth-century Walpole.

Known locally as “Handsome Si,” Bellows was widely regarded as popular, energetic and influential in town affairs. During the War of 1812, he led a company of Walpole men in the defense of Portsmouth, enhancing his local reputation for leadership and civic commitment.

In 1813, Bellows married Stella Czarina Bradley (1796-1833), daughter of U.S. Senator Stephen Rowe Bradley. Her death in 1833, followed soon by the loss of their four children, marked a tragic period in his life. Bellows remarried in 1840 to Mary Ann Hosmer, widow of Dr. Alfred Hosmer, a Walpole native. Their son, Josiah Grace Bellows, was born on July 24, 1841—just months before Bellows himself died on January 13, 1842. The house remained in the Bellows family for more than a century, passing out of their ownership in 1944.

Architecturally, the home is a fine example of the Georgian/Federal style, featuring a hipped roof and central hall plan. The front entrance was later enhanced with a Greek Revival portico, complete with paired columns and sidelights, giving the façade a more monumental presence. On the south elevation, symmetry is carefully maintained, while an added porch supported by Italianate posts reflects mid-nineteenth-century stylistic updates. Both north and south chimneys are aligned along the central axis, reinforcing the house’s formal balance.

A single-bay addition displays Colonial Revival tracery, part of a later wave of architectural embellishment. On the north side, a two-story wing extending eastward may originally have served as carriage bays, suggesting the functional evolution of the property over time.

42 Old North Main Street stands as one of Walpole’s handsomest early nineteenth-century residences—an elegant blend of Federal refinement and later stylistic layers, deeply connected to one of the town’s foundational families.