Hearthside House Museum

About

Hearthside — The House That Love Built

Story

Located just to the north of Providence in Lincoln, Rhode Island, Hearthside is a unique stone mansion built in 1810 on pastoral Great Road, the first road through the wilderness between Providence and Mendon, Massachusetts, and one of the oldest thoroughfares in America.

Hearthside is beautifully preserved and had been a private residence until 1996, when the Town of Lincoln purchased the property. In 2001, a group of citizens formed "Friends of Hearthside", a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to serve as stewards of the house and help preserve the property, while promoting its historical significance and accessibility to the public. Hearthside House Museum is open frequently for guided tours and special events, and by appointment for group tours. For a schedule of openings, please see our Events section.

Hearthside has been noted as one of the finest examples of early 19th century federal-style houses in the state, and it is on the National Register of Historic Places. The unique 2 ½ story house is built of fieldstone, which was rare in dwellings at that time. Its design includes a gable roof with impressive ogee curves above circular attic windows. There are 10 fireplaces in the 10-room home, hence the name " Hearthside. " Hearthside has become known as "The House That Love Built" because of the romantic history behind the building of this beautiful house by Stephen Hopkins Smith.