Barrett House, also known as Forest Hall, was built c. 1800 in New Ipswich, New Hampshire by Charles Barrett, Sr. for his son Charles, Jr. and daughter-in-law, Martha Minot, on the occasion of their marriage. Its grand scale was encouraged by Martha’s father, who promised to furnish the house in as lavish a manner as Barrett, Sr. could build it. It features family furnishings, French scenic wallpaper, and a third-floor ballroom with period musical instruments.

The mansion sits on more than seventy acres that include perennial and annual gardens and a Gothic Revival summer house that crowns the hillside overlooking the expansive grounds.

The property is owned and managed by Historic New England. Visit to learn about the multiple generations that resided at Barrett House, their lifestyles, and the impressive country estate that represents a vanished way of life from a time when New Ipswich was an active mill town.