Built in 1787 for Tomas Wiswell, the house had a massive center chimney, and the hinged walls of three upstairs bedrooms could be swung upward and secured to the ceiling to create a large ballroom. The original barn and ell no longer exist. Shipbuilder Hugh McCulloch bought the home in 1801 at age 28 and began building ships in his shipyard behind the house. His son, also named Hugh, was born there shortly after in 1808 and later became Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, and Chester A. Arthur.
