Built in 1866, the South Meeting House (originally known as South Ward Hall) served as a school and community center before being purchased by an African American congregation following the Civil War and Reconstruction. This building is the oldest African American church in New Hampshire. Annual celebrations of the Emancipation Proclamation took place here starting in 1882. Many African Americans in the community were in attendance at that first celebration in 1882, along with more than one hundred invited white guests. The event took place annually for eighty years. What started as a multidenominational Bible-study session soon exceeded the capacity of James F. Slaughter’s living quarters and the group was relocated here in 1890. It was reorganized as the People’s Baptist Church in 1893 with Reverend James Randolph serving as the first minister.
In 1756, the New Hampshire Gazette became the first newspaper in colonial New Hampshire. The paper is still produced today, making it one of the oldest newspapers in North America. Daniel Fowle established the newspaper and operated it until his death in 1787. The city of Portsmouth learned about local events as well as the events leading up to the American Revolution from Fowle's paper. Primus, an enslaved man, oversaw the printing press of Gazette for fifty years. Little is known about Primus, the man who produced the paper that shaped the views of so many New Hampshire residents. He lived in a small house outside of Fowle’s home with his wife and Fowle’s other female slaves. Although he did not enjoy the freedom of his fellow citizens, written accounts indicate that he was held in high esteem owing to his role in the community. Primus live a long life, and his obituary in the New Hampshire Gazette was credited his skill along with a twenty-line poem in his honor.
Built in 1761, this tavern was the home of James and Elizabeth Stoodley and their children, along with two slaves whom they called Frank and Flora. It was used as a meeting place for Revolutionary patriots and was visited by Paul Revere in 1774. Colonial auctions took place here often for bulk goods, and occasionally African slaves. After 1830, the structure went through phases of being a boardinghouse, restaurant, appliance store, and apartment building. It was relocated from Daniel street to its current address on Hancock street by the Strawbery Banke Museum in 1966. The historic building is now an exhibit of the Strawbery Banke Museum.
Efforts to highlight Portsmouth’s history through preserving the city’s many historic buildings began before World War II. In 1958, Strawbery Banke, a preservation agency is organized in order to preserve many of Portsmouth’s historic buildings. Their efforts created the Strawbery Banke Museum, a 10-acre outdoor museum dedicated to the preservation and archaeological research. Through the restoration of one of Portsmouth’s oldest neighborhoods, Puddle Dock, the museum displays life in Portsmouth (originally named Strawbery Banke) from 1695 to 1954. The museum’s gardens, 42 historic buildings, period-clothed personnel, and hands-on activities let visitors experience historic Portsmouth.
George Washington commented in his diary that the home of Governor John Langdon, “may be esteemed the first” among the homes in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Constructed in 1784, the house projected John Langdon’s status in the community. A ship’s captain, international merchant, militia Colonel, and one of the U.S.’s Founding Fathers, Langdon served in the Continental Congress for one year and later supervised the construction of warships for America’s Revolutionary Navy. He was a U.S. Senator, Governor of New Hampshire, and State legislator. Langdon lived in the home from 1785 until he died in 1819.
This African Burying Ground is located on Chestnut Street, which is between Court and State streets in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is the only African burial site to be discovered in New England and was actively used in the early 18th century. During that time, the setting of Chestnut Street was undeveloped and outside of the downtown area. The burial ground was paved over as Portsmouth expanded and thrived in the late 1700s, making those who rested at the grounds a forgotten memory. This reality remained throughout the next two centuries. In 2003, Chestnut Street underwent routine infrastructure upgrades as part of a City improvement project, which included excavation below the pavement. This led to the discovery of thirteen individual coffins and skeletal remains that confirmed the location to be part of the forgotten “Negro Burying Ground.” Experts estimated, based on the available records, that as many as two hundred bodies have been buried under Chestnut Street, which is now in the heart of downtown Portsmouth. The sacred grounds became a memorial park titled “We Stand in Honor of Those Forgotten.” The park features sculptural works and historical background along with decorative landscaping to honor the memory and connect the residents to those who were buried at the site.
The last known structure in the United States associated with Revolutionary War naval hero, John Paul Jones, was built in 1758 for Captain Gregory Purcell. Jones stayed at this house while he supervised the construction of the 74-gun naval vessel, America, in a nearby shipyard, from 1781-82. Jones then went on to naval campaigns off the coast of Europe and died in Paris in 1792. The Georgian home passed to various owners throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries until it was acquired by the Portsmouth Historical Society in 1919. It is now open to the public as a historic home museum and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1972. The museum hosts the exhibit "An Uncommon Commitment to Peace: Portsmouth Peace Treaty 1905."
This historical marker shares the story of a treaty that was signed in Portsmouth. In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt orchestrated negotiations to end the Russo-Japanese War while in Portsmouth. The State of New Hampshire was the host, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard provided security, protocol, and accommodations for the formal negotiations with the Wentworth By the Sea Hotel providing the hospitality for the Russian and Japanese delegates. The people of Portsmouth created an atmosphere for peace that resulted in the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, signed at the Shipyard on September 5, 1905.
Founded in 1817, the Portsmouth Athenaeum is a membership library dedicated to preservation of local history through the maintenance of a library, a museum, educational programs, and guest speakers. In 1824, the Athenaeum moved to its current location. In the 19th century, public libraries were scarce but dozens of cities were home to similar private libraries that supported their operations through donations and membership fees. Many of these institutions were known as "Athenaeums," a name that indicated that the organization offered more than a library, with programs and other activities that would promote education and culture. The Portsmouth Athenaeum’s library contains over 40,000 volumes, an archive of manuscripts and photographs. Today, most of the events held at the Portsmouth Athenaeum are free and open to the public.
The Moffatt-Ladd House was built between 1760 and 1763 for the only son of John Moffatt, one of the wealthiest men in the colony of New Hampshire, prior to the Revolution. Samuel and Sarah Catherine Moffatt were the first to live in the house and they took up residence shortly after their wedding in 1764. They would be the beginning of almost 150 years of the same family, as well as enslaved and free servants, living in the stately home overlooking the Piscataqua. The most famous person to live in the house was Prince Whipple, who was enslaved by William Whipple, and is believed to be a primary author of the 1779 Petition of Freedom. General William Whipple, one of New Hampshire's three signers of the Declaration of Independence married Katharine Moffatt, and lived in the house with his wife and father-in-law from 1771 until 1785. Located in the back yard of this home is a beautiful colonial revival garden that has been kept up by the various owners of the home for more than 200 years with a wide variety of plants. This home and garden will be updating the public when it is open for tours, based on best safety practices during the Covid-19 pandemic.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
Get a QR Code for this tour
This walking tour starts at the Portsmouth Pearl and makes a small loop through the heart of the downtown area with stops at numerous museums and historic buildings. Highlights of the tour include the home of Governor John Langdon, Portsmouth Athenaeum, the African Burying Ground, the John Paul Jones House Museum, and the Strawberry Banke Museum.
