Portsmouth, New Hampshire

This is going to be a long one I am afraid....

Portsmouth is one of 13 cities in New Hampshire. It has 21,000 residents. It is located near the mouth of the Piscataqua River, a short, wide river that divides New Hampshire and Maine. It has gone through multiple names since 1603. First it was known as Piscataqua, then Strawbery Banke (that is not a typo, it actually did only have one 'r'). At the town's incorporation in 1653, the name Portsmouth was adopted in honor of the colony's founder, John Mason. He had been captain of the port of Portsmouth, England, in the county of Hampshire, for which New Hampshire is named. In 1679, Portsmouth became the colonial capital. Paul Revere rode to Portsmouth to warn them the British were coming in 1774.

On the way into Portsmouth, we stopped at the USS Albacore. This is the first submarine with this shaped hull. It had no weapons and was used as an experimental vessel. It set the new underwater speed record early in its service. Through a series of configurations, she provided the model for all future U.S. Navy and many foreign submarines that followed. In 1966, she again set a new submerged speed record, earning a reputation as the world's fastest submarine. Albacore was retired from service in 1972, and transferred to the Portsmouth Submarine Memorial Association in 1984. She was placed in a permanent dry berth and opened to the public in October 1985. (Karissa, I bet your Papa could tell you a lot more about this boat.)




After parking in the parking garage, we walked over to the Moffatt-Ladd house. This was built in 1763 and is a National Historic Landmark. One of America's finest Georgian mansions, the house was built for merchant John Moffatt between 1760 and 1763. During the Revolution, it was the home of General William Whipple, one of New Hampshire's three signers of the Declaration of Independence and his wife Katharine Moffatt Whipple. Next to the house is a Horse Chestnut tree that was planted by William Whipple in 1776. When we were there, the leaves were starting to change, but I was able to get a couple in decent shape to send out to you Karissa. That is the Horse Chestnut tree behind Pooh in the picture.




After leaving the tree, we started walking down Market Street. Most of the buildings are brick, with slate roofs. In 1807, a fire destroyed most of the buildings along here and when they were rebuilt, it was required they use brick and slate.




At the end of Market Street, in Market Square, stands the North Church. The building we have today was built in 1854. This replaced the meeting house that was built in 1713. The North Church is as old as Portsmouth itself and the first meeting house was actually a log cabin built in 1657. Many famous people worshiped here, including George Washington.



There is also a plaque at the North Church about the original New Hampshire State House that was located in Market Square. Unfortunately that building is no longer there.




Portsmouth also has a Black Heritage trail. New Hampshire has been a center in maritime trade, even eclipsing Boston in the early days of American Colonies. It also has a long history as an early entry point for African Slaves. New England shipbuilders and merchants were actively involved in the slave trade, a fact that runs contrary to the common portrayal of the Northeast as a haven for abolitionists. The following are two of the Black Heritage signs found throughout Portsmouth, the first one next to the North Church.






Adam used to work in a building not far from the Church. In the basement of the building was a bricked up archway. That door was the opening to underground tunnels that led to the docks and Strawbery Banke. These could have been used for the slave trade, or simply as a way to get provisions from the ships to the market area.

From the church we walked over to Strawbery Banke. It is the oldest neighborhood in New Hampshire to be settled by Europeans, and the earliest neighborhood remaining in the present-day city of Portsmouth. It features more than 40 restored buildings built between the 17th and 19th centuries. The neighborhood's history traces back to 1630, when Captain Walter Neal chose the area to build a settlement, naming it after the wild berries growing along the Piscataqua River.



The large open space seen in the next picture was actually a waterway known as Puddle Dock. It was filled in around 1900.



Next to Strawbery Banke is the Oracle House. It is one of the oldest houses in New England. (It is also for sale if anyone is interested. $1,595,000.00)



Across the street from Strawbery Banke is Prescott Park and beautiful gardens. Prescott Park was donated to the city of Portsmouth around the turn of the century (1900's) by two sisters, Josie and Sarah Prescott. Can you find Pooh in the next picture?



Pooh really enjoyed the flowers. Hurricane Hanna was approaching and the wonderful colors in the garden brightened an otherwise dreary day.


Some of the Portsmouth Fishing Fleet is in the Harbor that Prescott Park overlooks. These are working fishing boats. Some catch lobster and others bring fish into the docks. The second picture is of an anchor in Prescott Park, put there as a monument to the fishing industry.




As we continued walking the shoreline, we came to Memorial Bridge. This is a through truss lift bridge that carries U.S. Route 1 across the Piscataqua River between Portsmouth NH and Kittery, Maine. The entire middle section lifts to allow large vessels through.

It was built between 1920 and 1923 and was dedicated as a World War I memorial. Its plaque, above the entrance to the first truss span on the Portsmouth side, reads: "Memorial to the Sailors and Soldiers of New Hampshire who participated in the World War 1917-1919." The bridge was constructed as a joint venture between the Maine, New Hampshire, and United States federal governments.

We were fortunate that the bridge actually went up while we were there. The haze in these pictures are Hurricane Hanna approaching.



When the bridge is ready to go up, it blows a whistle to warn those walking on the bridge and it gives them a chance to get off. It closes the gates on each end to prevent others from getting on it, and prevents any cars from getting on it. It then rises to allow the ship to pass under.

The first picture is of the ship waiting for the bridge to rise, and then a picture of the ship going under.



Even though the day was hazy, we had a lot of fun. It is almost as if Pooh is a relative visiting us for vacation and we are taking him around showing him those places we see on a daily/weekly basis. And we see those places with a new eye. This has been not only fun, but educational for us as well. Thanks Karissa for letting us particpate.