PORTSMOUTH HISTORIC SITES ASSOCIATES

The Portsmouth Athenaeum is a private membership library that is open to the public five days a week for research. Primary and secondary sources are preserved and made available to researchers by appointment.

The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire promotes awareness and appreciation of African American history and life in order to build more inclusive communities today. We believe that if we could embrace our shared history, we could heal racial anxiety and misunderstanding -- in our communities, our state and in this country.

The USS Albacore was a research submarine, designed by the Navy to test experimental features used in modern submarines. Today Albacore has been preserved and opened to the public. Tours through Albacore are self-guided. As you walk through the ship, a series of audio stations highlight Albacore's unique features. Recordings by former crew members tell something of the daily life aboard the sub.

Part of the Historic New England collection, the Langdon house was the residence of NH's first governor, John Langdon.

John Paul Jones, colonial America’s first sea warrior, was a tenant of the Widow Purcell in this house in 1781 while he supervised the building of the Navy’s ship America nearby. Though he loved Portsmouth, he left New Hampshire in 1782 never to return. His house is now the museum of Portsmouth men, women and children, where their stories live.

One of America's finest Georgian mansions, and home of two declarations of independence, invites you to explore history in its beautifully furnished authentic interiors, stroll in its elegant gardens, and attend our many events.

Strawbery Banke museum portrays 300+ years of life in the original Portsmouth waterfront neighborhood of Puddle Dock. Historic buildings and gardens, traditional crafts and costumed roleplayers. Seasonal skating rink.

The earliest, urban brick house in northern New England, the Warner House is considered a fine example of early-Georgian architecture with its sumptuous moldings and richly-paneled interiors.

The former home of New Hampshire's first royal governor, Benning Wentworth, who served in office from 1741 to 1767. The rambling 40-room mansion which overlooks Little Harbor, is one of the most outstanding homes remaining of the colonial era. Its stateliness and impressive interior and furnishings reflect aristocratic life in Portsmouth in the 1700s