Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail

A SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOUR

Portsmouth is taking back its African American heritage, ignored for centuries in written history. This tour is now a local source of pride a model for other New England seaports. Based on the research of historian Valerie Cunningham, the entire tour is available online exclusively on SeacoastNH.com.
See all stops on the trail

 

 

 

STOPS ALONG THE PBHT
Scroll way down for more info and a handy clickable map

 

• The Wharf -- Prescott Park
• Stoodley's Tavern -- Hancock Street
• Sherburne House -- Strawbery Banke Museum
• William Pitt Tavern -- Court Street
• Site of New Hampshire Gazette Printing Office
• Macphraedris - Warner House
• St. John's Church -- Chapel St
• North Church -- Market Square
• Site of Town Pump and Stocks
• Site of Negro Burial Ground
• Moffatt-Ladd House
• Site of the Whipple Home

 

13. Samuel Penhallow House
14. Langdon House
15. Waterfront -- Ceres Street
16. Site of the Temple
17. South Church
18. South Ward Room
19. People's Baptist Church
20. 14-16 Market Street
21. Navy Yard
22. Rosary's Beauty Shop
23. Rockingham House
24. St. John's Parish Hall

 

---

Why Black History?

Portsmouth, New Hampshire has been home to Africans and African-Americans for more than 350 years. This Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail guide takes the reader to a selection of sites where Portsmouth's black residents lived, worked, prayed and celebrated. It tells stories omitted from three centuries of white historical narrative.

Upon examination we find that against the odds of early enslavement and subsequent marginalization, Africans and their descendants built communities and families, founded institutions, and served their town, state and nation in many capacities.

Black culture informed and transformed American Popular culture. The black presence made other Americans describe themselves as white. The black civil rights movement remains a model for other marginalized Americans and an inspiration to the world. In brief, black history is American history-black history is everyone's history.

 

---

 

Handy Clickable PBHT Map
Exclusively from SecaostNH.com

Black Heritage Trail View Interactive Map
Portsmouth 1850 Download 750k file
Portsmouth 1877 Download 1258k file

Early maps courtesty of
YESTERDAY & TODAY

Black Heritage Map and information Copyright © 2001 PBHT. All rights reserved.
Web site design, added info & images Copyright © 2001 SeacoastNH.com

This page is a public service of SeacoastNH.com.