[2] It was built for Nathaniel Brown Palmer (1799–1877), who was a seal hunter, a pioneering Antarctic explorer, and a major designer of clipper ships.

It is a roughly square wood-frame structure, three bays wide and 2+1⁄2 stories in height, with a kitchen ell.

Of particular note is the captain's study on the ground floor, which features built-in cabinetry with shelving for nautical charts with mahogany-veneered paneled doors.

In the following year he was assigned to captain a small sloop (about half the size of Christopher Columbus' ship the Niña) which served as the tender and exploratory vanguard of a fleet of seven larger sealers.

Built the following year, the Houqua made the journey from New York City to Canton, China in a record 95 days.