Portsmouth, NH and the "Strawbery Banke Museum"

I can't believe I went to the charming town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire almost a year ago today, and never had the chance to blog about it! My husband had to attend a business meeting there for a couple days last year, and I went along, as I love this town! Portsmouth, N.H., a city of roughly 21,000 people, sits near the mouth of the Piscataqua River, a short, wide river that divides New Hampshire and Maine. As a historic New England seaport city, it is a popular tourist destination full of wonderful restaurants, shopping, and scenic venues.

Settled in 1623, Portsmouth claims to be the nation's third-oldest city. The original New Hampshire State House is located on Market Square in Portsmouth. It can be seen above as the building with large windows and chimneys on top.

As you can see by its identifying plaque it was the seat of colonial government from 1758-1776. The American Declaration of Independence was read from the building on July 18, 1776. Also, President George Washington spoke from the balcony on October 31, 1789. 

Do pirates now ride motorcycles? It seems Portsmouth is also a town full of fun surprises!

The beautiful and historic "Strawbery Banke Museum" (*note-the unusual spelling is not a typographical error) village is located in Portsmouth, and we had the opportunity to visit the area and take a tour.

The museum's web site states:

"Originally named Strawbery Banke by early (1630) British settlers for the wild berries growing there, Strawbery Banke today is unique among outdoor history museums - tracing 375 years of history in one of America's oldest continuously occupied neighborhoods. The 10-acre site, with its authentically restored houses and shops, period gardens, and costumed role players, presents the daily lives of ordinary people who lived here - from Colonial times to World War II, from the mundane to the elegant, from economic boom to wartime austerity - in engaging and accessible ways. Strawbery Banke Museum is a capsule of New England seaport life across four centuries."

"Strawbery Banke is unique among outdoor history museums in presenting an authentic neighborhood, with most of the 42 historic buildings on their original foundations. These structures, the earliest dating to 1695, provide our strongest link to the lives of the people who lived in this neighborhood. Some of the houses have been restored and furnished to particular periods in the past; some are used for exhibits on such special themes as architecture or archaeology; still, others serve as shops for artisans practicing traditional trades."

By the way - all the photos in this post can be enlarged by clicking on them once, and then again when they open on a new page.  You can view much more detail in these photo collages by enlarging them that way.  Use the back arrow to return to my post after viewing the enlargements.

Although the historical re-enactors were not there the day we visited, as it was off season, house tours were still available, and we saw homes decorated as they would have been over the four centuries this area was a thriving community.

One of my favorite rooms was this 1940's era kitchen!  It reminded me so much of my maternal grandmother's kitchen, as I remember it when I was a child. She had almost the same black, wood and coal burning cast iron stove.  The radio on the desk on the right was playing old-time radio show tape--it was so warm and cozy and wonderfully nostalgic!

Another favorite building was the "Little Corner Store" that was next door to the country kitchen I showed above.  Again, it reminded me of visiting my grandmother, who lived in a small town in Pennsylvania during my childhood. There was a small store, very much like this one, on her corner.  My grandmother always gave each of her grandchildren a quarter when we visited, which felt like a fortune.  As young children, my siblings and I used to be able to buy a large Nestle candy bar for only five cents! Are you old enough to remember penny candy?  I never thought I'd be old enough to say this, but: "Those were the days!"

Of course, visiting a location in New England in autumn is a very special treat because of all the magnificent fall color that is everywhere, and Portsmouth, NH was no exception!  I "oohed and aahed" everywhere we went that day.  Did you notice the "face" in one of the Strawbery Banke Museum house windows above? Halloween had just passed, and a museum staff member must have had a sense of humor to leave that image peeking out the window!

There are some wonderful historic lighthouses in this area of New England, and, as I am a lighthouse aficionado, I was fortunate to have a co-worker of my husband take us around to view them! Above is a distant view of the Whaleback Lighthouse located in the mouth of the Piscataqua River, nearest to Kittery, Maine.

This lighthouse was established in 1830; the present granite lighthouse was built in 1872, and it was automated in 1963. This lighthouse can be seen from many spots on shore, including Fort Foster in Kittery, Fort Constitution, Fort Stark, and Great Island Common in New Castle, NH, and Odiorne Point in Rye, NH. The lighthouse is accessible only by boat and is closed to the public.

Even in early November, a few wild pink roses were still blooming in the area along the coastline! The North East experienced a very mild winter last year. I'd love to show you more about the other lighthouses we saw in a future post... please stayed tuned!