Historical Attractions in Portsmouth, NH
In this New Hampshire Seacoast City,History Lives in the Landscape
Sep 24, 2008
When you sail down the Piscataqua River on the M/V Thomas Laighton, past the red brick waterfront, and out to sea, Portsmouth stories wash over you. Not just the ones the captain narrates over the cruise ship's loudspeaker, but from the misty sites (the Portsmouth Naval Prison, Whaleback Light, and the Wentworth Hotel) that cascade from history as you head out towards the Isles of Shoals.
Timelessness is Portsmouth’s charm: In the morning, tour Strawbery Banke (settled in 1623), once home to cod fishermen and ship builders, then eat lunch and look out past the tugboats to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which services nuclear submarines.
Portsmouth, a city of 20,000 located an hour north of Boston, has many historic sites and points of interest. Here are six.
Portsmouth, New Hampshire Sites of Interest
Isles of Shoals Steamship Company
The M/V Thomas Laighton leaves the Port of New Hampshire dock across from the Sheraton Harborside most days from April to October for a three-hour tour of the Isles of Shoals 10 miles out to sea. Passengers get a close-up of a busy working port, with its tugboats and tankers, a great view of the austere promontory of Portsmouth Naval Prison, which closed in 1974 and was used in the Jack Nicholson film, The Last Detail. The tour is an ideal way to experience the history and legends of Portsmouth, Maine, and its shared islands. The Thomas Laighton is a Victorian-style boat with restrooms, snack bars, and a full lunch menu.
John Paul Jones House
The famed Revolutionary War sea captain John Paul Jones might have rented a room when this three-story mansion was a boardinghouse in 1777. Jones lived in Portsmouth from 1781-82. The classic Georgian with its gambrel roof and five bay fronts, well furnished with period furniture, linens, and artwork, is now home to the Portsmouth Historical Society.
Odiorne State Park
Odiorne is home to the Seacoast Science Center, which offers exhibits and educational programs on the natural history of the Gulf of Maine. The 136-acre park has a bike path and wooded trails that lead to rocky beaches and great views of the ocean. The park also has a picnic area, boat launch, and restrooms, for the perfect blend of exploration and relaxing physical activity.
Portsmouth Maritime Museum & Albacore Park
The USS Albacore is a 205-foot submarine that was built at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in 1952 and served as the Navy’s experimental sub for the next 20 years, performing tests for speed and maneuverability, and serving as a laboratory for testing everything from sonar devices to escape procedures. The sub is now a museum offering visitors the unique opportunity to tour the famed Navy daily during the summer.
Strawbery Banke Museum
Strawbery Banke is a collection of restored buildings on 10 acres that reflect how ordinary people lived from the 17th century up to the 1950s. Costumed role players in the furnished historic homes tell tales of everyday work and holiday traditions. Its paths and gardens make it a great place for a stroll. Tours are offered six days a week from May through October and the site holds many special events, including December’s candlelight stroll. Across the street from Strawbery Banke is Prescott Park with its resplendent gardens and brick paths leading down to a waterfront walkway.
Wentworth by the Sea
The New Castle hotel, which first opened in 1874, was the backdrop of Portsmouth’s finest hour on the world stage, lodging delegates to the 1905 peace talks that ended the Russo-Japanese War. The Wentworth flourished, folded, fought off demolition in the 1990s, and reopened as a high-end Marriott property in 2003 featuring 161 rooms and suites, a health and beauty spa, and an array of fine dining options.
