JOHN PAUL JONES HOUSE MUSEUM

Built in 1758 for Captain Gregory Purcell, this house was home to John Paul Jones, hero of the United States War of Independence, when it operated as a boarding house. He stayed there in 1781 and 1782, renting a room to the widow Purcell. He then supervised the construction of the USS America, a warship that was offered to France in 1782. The house now houses the Portsmouth Museum. The dining room furniture dates from the 19th century.