2018 TTRAG Tour

2018 TTRAG Tour

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Welcome to Portsmouth, New Hampshire!  This years tour is going to focus on one of the earliest settled areas of New Hampshire and Maine. First settled in 1630, the area was named Strawberry Bank after the abundance of strawberries that grew on the shore.  The area of Great Bay has some of the strongest tidal currents in the world, but if timed correctly, the waterways provided access to large amount if inland forests.  These forests became one of the major industries that drove the settlement of the area and helped to turn Portsmouth into a major shipping port.  With increased commerce came the building of the areas oldest city.   

     The following are some of the buildings that will be open during the tour.  The tour will be self guided this year though Portsmouth.  A guide of the buildings and maps will be available at the conference giving directions and street addresses to each site.  Parking is available for people who wish to drive, but it is limited.  The total distance between the hotel and all of the sites (and back) is less than a mile and a half, with many, many opportunities to stop along the way and sample some of Portsmouth's legendary food, coffee, and micro-brews. 

Scheafe Warehouse

Although this building has been moved to its current location, it originally sat on the waters edge and the overhanging section was used to facilitate the loading and unloading of cargo from smaller ships.  The building was used as a warehouse and storage until the 1930's when it was bought by Mary E. and Josie F. Prescott, the founders of Prescott Park.  In the years that followed it was moved to the park and today is used for art exhibitions.

Sherburne House at Strawbery Banke

The Sherburne house is the last remaining house from pre 1700's that remains in this area of Portsmouth and it is the last link to the area that was known as Strawbery Banke (the original name for the area in the 1600's).  The house is an excellent example of the New England variants on traditional English framing.  The house has many places where the original framing is exposed as well as areas that show the second half of the house that was added at a later time.

Jackson House at Strawbery Banke

This small, center chimney house dates to the late 1700's and documa=entation suggests that it replaced and earlier house on the site.  The house has evidence that an addition was planned, but never executed as it has door framing in the exterior walls, as well as a firebox in the back of a chimney that currently sits on an exterior wall.

Yeaton-Walsh House at Strawberry Banke

The Yeaton Walsh house dates from between 1794 and 1803.  At the time of the construction it was built as a simple dwelling for rental income.  At the time of constructuon, (and now) dwellings for craftsmen, laborers, fisherman and seamen were in short supply.  The building is currently undergoing a restoration where the focus is the retention of the original fabric.  This building is an active construction site so please use caution during the tour.

Thomas Aldrich House

The Thomas Bailey Aldrich house was the first house museum in the city of Portsmouth.  This 1797 house has been restored to depict the style of the house in 1850 as percieved in the colonial revival period.  The period of interpritation is driven by the desire to show the house as it was when Thomas Bailey Aldrich spent summers there with his Grandfather, and the time when he began his writing careeer.  His works included a novelette titled The Story of a Bad Boy. The then-revolutionary work was a huge success, and it remains in print today. That book also inspired a friend and fellow writer to create an account of teen life entitled The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Goodwin House

 Threatened with demolition in 1963, the Goodwin house is one of the few that have been moved to Strawberry Banke museum.  The house was built in 1811 by a local bricklayer "on spec" it was purchased by Ichabod Goodwin in 1832 and Greek revival elements were added.  Later, many of the rooms recieved a Victorian update.  However, much of the house still retains its Federal period details.  Ichabod went on to serves a two year term as New Hampshire govenor, head of the Portland, Saco and Portsmouth Railroad, and he later became president of the Portsmouth Steam Factory, taking over a six-story building containing 21,000 spindles and 450 looms. It employed 380 people who annually produced two-and-a-half million yards of fine, sheer cotton and linen fabric.