Historic New England - Function Rentals at Historic New England Properties

Function Rentals At Historic New England Properties

The Lyman Estate in Waltham, Mass., and the Codman House Carriage House in Lincoln, Mass., provide unique historic settings for private functions ranging from weddings to corporate events and training programs. The grounds of the historic Governor John Langdon House in Portsmouth, N.H. are also available for weddings and private events.

The Lyman Estate, also known as The Vale, was built in 1793 by wealthy shipping magnate Theodore Lyman. Originally used as a summer home, the Federal-style mansion was designed by renowned Salem architect Samuel McIntire. The Estate remained in the Lyman family until 1952, when the five Lyman heirs donated it to the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, now known as Historic New England. The property is now a National Historic Landmark and is available for rental for weddings and private parties.

The Codman House grounds are a prospect of farm and pleasure grounds, a gentleman's country seat that was a powerful force in the lives of five generations of the Codman family. In the 1790s, John Codman carried out extensive improvements to the original Georgian house and surrounding grounds. Each generation of Codmans to live here left their mark, and the estate that was originally a country retreat gradually came to symbolize the family's distinguished past. The grounds feature a hidden Italianate garden, c. 1900, with perennial beds, statuary, and a reflecting pool filled with waterlilies, as well as an English cottage garden, c. 1930. The Codman estate Carriage House is available as a site for weddings and other private events, and wedding ceremonies may take place in the beautiful Italian Garden.

The grounds of the Governor John Langdon House, located in the center of Portsmouth, N.H., with easy access from Boston, may be rented for weddings and other occasions. John Langdon rose from modest origins to become a merchant, shipbuilder, Revolutionary leader, signer of the United States Constitution, and three-term governor of New Hampshire. The house he built for his family expresses his status as Portsmouth's leading citizen and was praised by George Washington, who visited there in 1789. Its reception rooms—of a grand scale suited to ceremonial occasions—are ornamented by elaborate wood carving in the rococo style. After Langdon's death in 1819, the house was occupied by other leading families. At the end of the 19th century, Langdon descendants purchased the house and restored it to its 18th-century glory, adding on a substantial wing designed by McKim, Mead, and White to house modern conveniences. The handsome garden, dating from the same era, features restored perennial beds, a rose and grape arbor, and a pavilion.