About Us
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Aldworth Manor was originally built in the early 1800s in Worcester, Mass. How then did it end up in Harrisville, NH? It is rumored that in the early 1900s Mr. and Mrs. Arthur and Alice Childs could inherit the manor in Massachusetts and one million dollars if they physically resided in the home.
The History Of Aldworth Manor
Portrait of Philip Moen Childs
The Long Family: Roger, Tammy, Jordan and Shane.
Having previously bought a plot of 700 acres in New Hampshire for his “hunting lodge,” Arthur and Alice devised the brilliant plan to move the manor house - and live in it there. So it was shipped to Harrisville, N.H., through an unbelievable feat of taking it apart piece by piece and transporting it on the B&M Railroad. Wagon-loads hauled by horses, oxen and mules carried the disassembled house to and from the 17 flatbed railroad cars.
In 1908 Aldworth Manor was born again at the Harrisville, New Hampshire location. Mr. and Mrs. Childs poured an extensive amount of money into the property, gardens and local community. They even took part in the Village Improvement Society, instigating the first tarred road to be established in Harrisville.
Aldworth Manor became a sensation and was well known throughout New England, where construction and beautification continued well into the 1920s.
However, the death of their heroic owners, combined with the Great Depression and upkeep for such a large estate, Aldworth Manor proved to be too much. In subsequent years Aldworth Manor had a rapid succession of tenants but did not get the attention it deserved and quickly deteriorated.
In 2014 Aldworth Manor was listed for sale yet again, facing an uncertain future. It was during that time Shane Long, his parents Roger and Tammy Long, along with his brother Jordan Long, stepped in and purchased the historic estate. With the help of friends, family and locals, the Long family is giving Aldworth Manor the dignity it deserves by restoring it, quite literally, room by room - and preserving this important part of New England’s rich history.