o Settled in 1623 by English
settlers who called it "Strawberry Banke" because of the
large number of wild strawberries in the area, it is the
oldest settlement in New Hampshire.
o At the town's incorporation in 1653, it was named
Portsmouth in honor of the colony's founder, John Mason.
He had been captain of the port of Portsmouth, England,
in the county of Hampshire, for which New Hampshire is
named.
o Became a major shipbuilding area and commercial port
during colonial times because of its natural harbor and
location at the mouth of the Piscataqua River.
o In 1774, in the lead-up to the Revolution, Paul Revere
rode to Portsmouth warning that the British were coming
with warships to subdue the port.
o John Paul Jones resided here, 1781-1782, while his
ship the Ranger was being built on nearby Badger's
Island in Kittery, ME. The house he resided in is now
the Portsmouth Historical Society Museum.
o The city has a significant number of Colonial,
Georgian and Federal style homes and was named one of a
"Dozen Distinctive Destinations" by the National Trust
for Historic Preservation in 2008.
o Prescott Park was established by a bequest of the
Prescott sisters who donated ten acres of waterfront
property and funds to the city to establish and maintain
a free public park. Its highlights include the formal
gardens with 40 display beds of annuals and perennials
as well as two warehouses, built in 1740 and 1806, that
reflect the city's history as a commercial hub.
