Qualla: Portsmouth: New Hampshire's Colonial Seaport

Portsmouth: New Hampshire's Colonial Seaport: Introduction

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit John Phelan, CC BY-SA 4.0. New Hampshire's coastline is short - just 18 miles, the least of any coastal state. Portsmouth concentrates that coastline's character: a colonial seaport founded in 1623, one of the oldest European settlements in America, where Georgian and Federal houses line streets laid out when this was still an English colony. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (technically in Maine, across the Piscataqua River) launched the USS Squalus, America's first submarine, and has built warships since 1800. The Treaty of Portsmouth, ending the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, was signed at the Naval Shipyard - winning Theodore Roosevelt the Nobel Peace Prize. Portsmouth itself is small and walkable, its brick sidewalks and clapboard houses creating the New England seaport that photographs better than any other.

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Image: John Phelan | CC BY-SA 4.0

Portsmouth: New Hampshire's Colonial Seaport: Colonial Survivor

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Julia Fey, CC BY-SA 4.0. Portsmouth was founded in 1623, making it one of the oldest cities in the United States. The colonial architecture survived - Strawbery Banke Museum preserves 37 historic houses spanning 400 years, from the 17th century to World War II. The houses weren't gathered from elsewhere;...

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Image: Julia Fey | CC BY-SA 4.0

Portsmouth: New Hampshire's Colonial Seaport: The Naval Shipyard

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Daderot, Public domain. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard sits on Seavey's Island in the Piscataqua River, technically in Maine but historically Portsmouth's. The yard opened in 1800, built the USS Squalus (the Navy's first submarine) in 1903, and continues to maintain and overhaul submarines. The Treaty of...

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Image: Daderot | Public domain

Portsmouth: New Hampshire's Colonial Seaport: Market Square

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Daderot, Public domain. Market Square has been Portsmouth's commercial center since colonial times - the North Church overlooking a space where merchants, craftspeople, and farmers gathered. Today the square is surrounded by restaurants, galleries, and shops, the independent businesses that define small...

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Image: Daderot | Public domain

Portsmouth: New Hampshire's Colonial Seaport: Isles of Shoals

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit CC BY-SA 4.0. The Isles of Shoals lie six miles offshore, a cluster of nine islands split between Maine and New Hampshire. Star Island hosts the Star Island Conference Center, where Unitarian Universalists and United Church of Christ congregants have gathered since 1896. The lighthouse-dotted ...

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Image: CC BY-SA 4.0

Portsmouth: New Hampshire's Colonial Seaport: New England Perfected

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Vasiliymeshko, CC BY-SA 4.0. Portsmouth has no commercial airport; Boston Logan (60 miles south) or Portland (55 miles north) serve the region. The Downeaster Amtrak train connects Portland to Boston with stops in Durham, 12 miles from Portsmouth. The town is entirely walkable; parking is limited but managea...

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Image: Vasiliymeshko | CC BY-SA 4.0