Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Encyclopedia : P : PO : POR : Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth, New Hampshire is the largest city in Rockingham County in the state of New Hampshire in the United States of America. Its location is 43°3' North, 70°47' West. The city population was 20,784 as of the 2000 census. The city is served by Pease International Airport.
History
The first known European to explore the area was Martin Pring in 1603. It would be settled in 1630 as "Piscataqua," then given the name "Strawbery Banke" because of abundant wild strawberries growing beside the Piscataqua River, a tidal estuary. Strategically located for trade between various upstream industries (particularly logging) and mercantile interests abroad, the port prospered. Fishing and shipbuilding were principal businesses.
At the town's incorporation in 1653, the name "Portsmouth" was adopted in honor of the colony's founder, John Mason, captain of the port of Portsmouth, England (which happens to be in the county of Hampshire for which New Hampshire is named). In 1679, Portsmouth became the colony's capital. It also became a refuge for exiles from Puritan Massachusetts. In 1774, Paul Revere rode there to warn that the British were coming. Indeed, the seaport's vulnerablity during the American Revolution to the Royal Navy, which on October 18, 1775 bombarded "Falmouth" (now Portland, Maine), helped justify the rebellious government's move inland to Exeter. Some local fortunes would be lost by withered trade during President Thomas Jefferson's 1807 embargo, and others gained by privateering during the War of 1812. In 1849, Portsmouth incorporated as a city.
Once one of the nation's busiest ports and shipbuilding cities, Portsmouth's wealth was expressed in fine architecture. It contains significant examples of Colonial, Georgian, and Federal style houses, a selection of which are now museums. Portsmouth's heart contains stately brick Federalist stores and townhouses, built all of a piece after devastating early 19th century fires. The city is also noted for producing boldly veneered Federalist furniture, particularly that crafted by Langley Boardman.
The Industrial Revolution, however, would leave Portsmouth in the shadow of New Hampshire mill towns like Dover, Keene, Laconia, Manchester and Nashua. The effect of this economic shift was to preserve old Portsmouth. Now, with the protection of an Historic District Commission, much of the city's architectural legacy survives - to the delight of tourists and artists.
John Paul Jones' ship Ranger was built in Portsmouth, and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, located across the river in Kittery, Maine, was established in 1800 -- the nation's first. Portsmouth is also known as the site where President Theodore Roosevelt arranged the Treaty of Portsmouth, signed at 3:47 p.m. on September 5, 1905 at the shipyard by diplomats from Russia and Japan, ending the Russo-Japanese War. The occasion was marked by an honor guard, firing a 19-gun salute, and ringing area church bells. In 2005, there was a re-enactment of the signing of the [Portsmouth Peace Treaty].
Geography
Portsmouth is located at (43.067038, -70.772838)[Geographic references#1GR1]. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 43.5 km² (16.8 mi²). 40.4 km² (15.6 mi²) of it is land and 3.1 km² (1.2 mi²) of it (7.03%) is water. Portsmouth is drained by Sagamore Creek and the Piscataqua River. The highest point in the city is 100 feet (30 meters) above sea level, within Pease International Airport.Demographics
As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 20,784 people, 9,875 households, and 4,858 families residing in the city. The population density was 514.1/km² (1,331.3/mi²). There were 10,186 housing units at an average density of 251.9/km² (652.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.55% White, 2.13% African American, 0.21% Native American, 2.44% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.35% of the population.
There were 9,875 households out of which 20.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.8% were non-families. 38.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.75.
In the city the population was spread out with 17.2% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 36.2% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,195, and the median income for a family was $59,630. Males had a median income of $41,966 versus $29,024 for females. The per capita income for the city was $27,540. About 6.4% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
Strawbery Banke Museum
Located in the "South End," one of Portsmouth's oldest neighborhoods, [Strawbery Banke Museum] features an extensive collection of restored Colonial, Georgian, and Federal style architecture, saved from 1950s urban renewal by the efforts of Dorothy M. Vaughan and others. Guests learn local history from guides dressed in era costume. Across the street from the museum are the riverside gardens and entertainments of Prescott Park.Historic House museums
- [Jackson House] (1664)
- [John Paul Jones House] (1758)
- [Gov. John Langdon House] (1784)
- [Tobias Lear House] (1740)
- [Moffatt-Ladd House] (1763)
- [Rundlet-May House] (1807)
- [Warner House] (1716)
- [Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion] (c. 1741)
- [Wentworth-Gardner House (also, "Wentworth House")] (1760)
Notable inhabitants
- Thomas Bailey Aldrich, poet & novelist
- Hosea Ballou, clergyman
- Langley Boardman, architect & furniture-maker
- Peter Bonerz, actor
- Charles Warren Brewster, journalist & historian
- Joseph Stevens Buckminster, Unitarian minister & writer
- Ronnie James Dio, musician
- John Hart, Officer during King George's War and the French and Indian War
- Frank Jones, alemaker
- John Paul Jones, "father" of U.S. Navy
- John Langdon, statesman & governor
- Woodbury Langdon, merchant & justice
- Tobias Lear, secretary to George Washington
- Nathaniel Meserve, shipwright & soldier
- Tom Rush, singer & songwriter
- Richard A. Searfoss, astronaut
- Ezra Stiles, clergyman
- Celia Thaxter, poetess & writer
- Dorothy Mansfield Vaughan, historian & historical preservationist
- Daniel Webster, lawyer & statesman
- Benning Wentworth, royal governor
- Sir John Wentworth, last royal governor
- William Whipple, signer of Declaration of Independence
Sister Cities
Portsmouth has five sister cities, as designated by [Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI)]:
- Nichinan, Japan
- Pärnu, Estonia
- Szolnok, Hungary
- Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, UK
- Severodvinsk, Russia
External links
- [City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire Official Website]
- * [Guide to Portsmouth and the Seacoast Region]
- * [Portsmouth Athenaeum]
- * [Portsmouth Public Library]
- * [Prescott Park]
- * [The Seacoast Repertory Theatre]
- [New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile]
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