Calling all Portsmouth homeowners! Apply for a historic plaque, to place proudly on your home, identifying a prominent owner and the date the house was built. Emma Stratton, Executive Director of Portsmouth Historical Society, spoke about the Portsmouth Plaque Program, now under the auspices of the Society, as it prepares for its first event “How to Research Your Historic Property” Wednesday July 31, 2024 5:30-6:30 at the Portsmouth Athenaeum.
Stratton said, “The Plaque Program was initiated by Portsmouth Advocates in the 1980s, and revived multiple times over the years. Last year, a volunteer committee in collaboration with PortsmouthNH400 and the Portsmouth Athenaeum revitalized the program. This year, the Society – which is merged with Portsmouth Advocates – stepped in to work alongside the committee. We could not be happier to take the baton from PortsmouthNH400 and provide a permanent home for this important program.”
Valerie Rochon, outgoing Managing Director for PortsmouthNH400, is thrilled with this development, saying, “During the 2023 400th Anniversary celebrations, Portsmouth NH 400 (PNH400), the Friends of the South End (FOSE), the Citywide Neighborhood Committee (CNC), and the Portsmouth Athenaeum (P.A.) collaborated to re-institute an Historic House Plaque Program. The Portsmouth History Plaque Committee (PHPC) with representatives from FOSE, the CNC, and P.A., will continue to offer the Historic Plaque program in 2024. This is exactly the kind of legacy program that we had hoped would come about from this important milestone in Portsmouth history.”
Event Information
The Historical Society’s first event,How to Research Your Historic Property, is slated for Wednesday, July 31, 2024 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm, at the Portsmouth Athenaeum, 9 Market Square in Portsmouth. Residents interested in preserving the unique history of their homes will learn more about the Portsmouth Plaque Program, and how to use the resources at the Portsmouth Athenaeum. Attendees will dive into records, maps, surveys, and more. Who knows what you can discover about your home and its previous inhabitants! For more information please visit: https://portsmouthhistory.org/event/plaque-research/
A second How to Research Your History Property event on Sunday October 6, 2024 at 5:30 pm at the Portsmouth Public Library will focus on showing attendees how to use the Library’s resources.
According to Portsmouth Athenaeum member Talia Sperduto, who is leading the Portsmouth Plaque Program, “Any building owner in town will have the opportunity to purchase a hand-hewn plaque highlighting their home’s construction date and an owner of interest.” She urges residents to attend the July 31 event, “This is your opportunity to engage with your home’s architectural and human history and become a part of the story yourself with a commemorative plaque. These plaques are an enduring, visual reminder of the individuals and families that have shaped our city’s rich history. Join us in celebrating and preserving Portsmouth’s heritage!”
Sperduto and volunteers Margaret Hodges, Mary Thomas, and Elaine Apatang-Butts have transitioned along with the plaques program from the PNH400 to the Portsmouth Historical Society and are as enthusiastic as ever to serve our community.
Plaque details
The owners of any house, no matter the age or location in Portsmouth, can research the origins of their home and complete the application for approval to install a plaque that has been pre-approved by the City’s Historic District Commission. The signs are primed and painted white with black lettering on red cedar. A small plaque (9” x 11.25”) is $250 and a large plaque (11.25” x 16”) is $275.
About the accreditation process To certify accuracy, according to Talia Sperduto, “Research your home’s construction date and former owners. We have seminars, and research guides and will do it for you if you don’t have time. Our team of professional genealogists and architectural historians at the Portsmouth Athenaeum will check your research and certify accuracy. Plaques are a wonderful way to enrich our architectural landscape, but only if we ensure their accuracy. Once we confirm your date and previous owner of choice, volunteers will create your plaque and drop it off at your residence, ready for you to hang it up— with HDC approval already confirmed.”
Emma Stratton, Sarah Robbitts-Terry, Kim Simmons, and Jo Ann Klatskin (Newburyport Bank) celebrate the continued sponsorship of Portsmouth Historical Society’s Family Day program.
Every second Saturday, families can flock to Portsmouth Historical Society for free, family-friendly programming. This fun and educational program recently received an additional $5,000 of support from Newburyport Bank.
After a successful pilot year, Program Manager Jenn Thibadeau is excited to expand Family Day offerings, saying: “Thanks to Newburyport Bank we will be able to bring in more educators and partner with other local organizations to provide a variety of engaging activities throughout the year.”
Each month the Historical Society selects a different theme and plans hands-on family-friendly activities based on that theme. The first Family Day of 2024 focused on gardening. Attendees learned about historic gardens and native plants and then made egg-carton greenhouses and seed balls to plant at home. Other Family Day programs include a performance by Lindsay and her Puppet Pals for a theatrical Family Day on May 11, a Doodle Day on June 15, and Colonial Lawn Games on the John Paul Jones House Lawn on July 13.
“We must never take for granted the rich history that exists within our area,” stated Lloyd L. Hamm, President & CEO of the Bank. “And by supporting the Portsmouth Historical Society, we will ensure that for future generations. By protecting and presenting our past, they play an important role in the future of our communities.”
Family Day programs are free and open to the public, while registration is recommended. Family Day programs take place at either the Historical Society, 10 Middle Street, or the John Paul Jones House, 43 Middle Street, every second Sunday of the month.
You’ve probably already seen them in the museum hard at work or smiling in photos, but we would like to formally introduce you to our new staff members:
Sabina Ion, Marketing Manager
Sabina is a trained archeologist with a long history in public outreach. She most recently worked at the American independence Museum and loves translating the work that happens inside the museum into the digital world to share with a broader audience.
Sarah Robbitts-Terry, Volunteer and Program Coordinator
Sarah has enjoyed a career as an educator in schools as well as museums. She is passionate about lifelong learning and can’t wait to bring all kinds of new programs, workshops, and activities to the Portsmouth community.
Molly Liolios, Collections Manager and Registrar
Molly has her masters in History and Archives from U Mass Boston and has previously worked at the Heritage Museum and Gardens. She looks forward to sharing objects that have not been on display.
Kim Simmons, Development Manager
Kim comes to us from just across town, having most recently worked at Albacore Park. She has a passion for all things maritime and is particularly excited when the tall ships come to town. She plans to use her enthusiasm for community history to broaden engagement with the Historical Society.
A successful end to the 2022 season
From the collection
In an era before supermarkets where would you go for foodstuffs? Your local grocers or merchants who sometimes styled themselves as “West India Goods” retailers. This jug was made for Alfred Tucker who sold foodstuffs, including imports from the Caribbean such as rum and molasses from his shop in Spring Hill (the area where Market, Bow, and Ceres streets meet). This bustling area is now home to restaurants, ice cream emporiums, and a variety of retail shops, as well as apartments, and private dwellings.
Tucker’s jug reminds us of the area’s previous incarnation and enhances our understanding of the West India grocers’ important role in the mid-nineteenth century.
🏺Jug, New England, ca. 1849–56, Stoneware with cobalt-blue decoration, Gift from the estate of Edward and Florence Morrison (2019. 003).
Assembly of the community quilt is underway! We have a small committee of volunteers putting together all the squares we received. We plan to reveal our progress at our John Paul Jones Jubilee event (online!) on September 10th! More details and links for tickets to this event farther down.
We’ve been busy preparing the quilt exhibition, but now that the exhibition is open to the public, we will get back to posting submitted quilt squares through our social media accounts!
“Coverlets & Counterpanes of New Hampshire: Bedcovers for a New Nation”
Our next “Threads” Zoom lecture features MFA assistant curator Jennifer Swope, who will take a closer look at two objects in the Portsmouth Historical Society’s collection that are currently on display in “Threads,” and that may have had close encounters with early American celebrities—George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette! Ms. Swope will talk about separating truth from fiction, a challenge often encountered with objects supposedly used by famous historical figures.
Thursday, August 27 at 7:30 pm FREE for members $15 for non-members
(*Lecture zoom link will be provided by email after registration.)
7th Annual John Paul Jones (Online!) Jubilee & Auction
Virtual Gala • Online Auction • Wine Raffle
Arts, history, and culture define Portsmouth, and we realize that the artist community, so integral to the city’s unique character, has been hard hit by the pandemic. Portsmouth Historical Society has also seen financial challenges due to the stay-at-home order and social distancing requirements.
To that end, we have decided to use our annual fundraiser, which provides a significant portion of the Society’s income, as an opportunity to “pay it forward” in support of artists. Our online auction will feature original works of art, with 50% of the net proceeds from the sale of each item going to the artist.
Additionally, our Fund-A-Need campaign will be dedicated to raising funds to commission artwork which will be displayed at the Discover Portsmouth Welcome Center, thereby supporting a local artist and beautifying a city landmark.
This month-long online auction kicks off with an exclusive online virtual gala event on
September 10, 2020 at 7:00 pm
So join us for great art, delicious ‘Goodie Bag’ treats courtesy of Port City Pretzels, Wood Stove Kitchen (Sangria mix, baby!), and Naughty Good Bites. And don’t forget to purchase a raffle ticket or ten for then amazing wine raffle.
Reminder! Inside the Discover Portsmouth Welcome Center is the entrance to another FABULOUS gallery space.
The Seacoast African American Cultural Center is hosting a wonderful exhibition of photographs by Pete Souza, chief photographer at the White House during the Obama administration.
“Obama: An Intimate Portrait” exhibition tickets are available through SAACC’s website, www.saacc-nh.org.
