The two lived in a brick mansion, still located at 427 County Street in New Bedford. The home has undergone many changes since its construction; Arnold's nephew William J. Rotch added a third story in 1873. The Wamsutta Club — founded in 1866 for New Bedford's affluent community — added wings to the north and south ends after purchasing the mansion in 1919. While the gardens are now gone, the property was added to the National Historic Register of Historic Places, and is protected by the 2016-formation of the James Arnold Mansion Inc. 
James Arnold was born in Providence, Rhode Island on September 9, 1781 to Thomas and Mary (Brown) Arnold. He came to New Bedford to work for William Rotch, Jr., a merchant of the city. Arnold later became a partner and married Rotch’s daughter Sarah on October 29, 1807. Arnold was among a number of successful businessmen from the area who became interested in agriculture and horticulture. He was one of the founders of the New Bedford Horticultural Society in 1847. In 1821, he erected a Federal style brick mansion in New Bedford and established extensive gardens. He opened his private gardens to the public, at the time an unusual and highly regarded act. James Arnold died in 1868 in New Bedford, outliving both his wife and daughter. Arnold’s will specified that $100,000 of his fortune should be used to advance agriculture and horticulture. In 1872, the Arnold Arboretum was founded in Boston. 
Sarah Rotch — the first child of William Rotch, Jr. and Elizabeth Rodman Rotch — was born on Nantucket on June 3, 1786. The family soon moved to New Bedford, where her father succeeded in whaling and banking. Sarah Rotch married James Arnold on October 29, 1807, and gave birth to Elizabeth, their only child, on January 17, 1809. Beginning at age 18, in a series of letters written from 1804 through 1824 to her Aunt Charity in Ohio, Sarah reveals genuine concern for the poor and a mature tolerance for all religions as possible paths to fulfillment. As first president of the newly formed Ladies’ Branch of the Port Society in 1833, Sarah oversaw its charitable work among the families of seamen. After Sarah was named executrix of her father’s estate, the Port Society benefited further. In 1851, Sarah presented her late father’s mansion to the New Bedford Port Society for a “Mariner’s Home” to support seamen. Upon her death in 1860, Sarah provided an additional $10,000 to the Port Society, a gift that expanded the society’s focus beyond moral improvement to include benevolent aid. The abolitionist newspaper The Liberator lists the Arnolds among its contributors in an 1851 report. Sarah herself participated in abolitionist activities, as evidenced in an 1859 letter written to her by Boston abolitionist Maria Weston Chapman, who requested that Sarah assist Harriet Tubman on an upcoming visit to New Bedford. Both Sarah and her daughter Elizabeth wintered in Boston and helped to fund Chapman’s anti-slavery activities. At the Arnolds’ 1821 Federal mansion on County Street, Sarah planned its renowned gardens to include exotic and native plants, as well as European trees and shrubs. Sarah welcomed visiting black troops from New York to both her home and gardens, opened the spacious gardens for public use on Sundays, and hosted leading intellectuals, including Bronson Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Herman Melville, and John Quincy Adams. |
Last updated: July 24, 2020