Melting Snow and Changing Tenants

SeacoastNH.com Presents
Historic Portsmouth #347  

This is the fourth and last of our February snow photos courtesy of the Portsmouth Athenaeum archives. Hopefully the real stuff will disappear as we move on to hotter topics. These brick buildings on State Street were all built after the devastating fire of 1813 burned 192 wooden buildings from here, at the intersection of Pleasant Street, to the river. (Continued below)

 

 

The figures loitering on the left appear to be shoveling snow at what we know today as the Rusty Hammer Restaurant. The changes to the building have been extensive since the Davis Brothers took this post-Civil War photo. There used to be a corner first-floor window where the entrance is today. The fourth floor and hanging bay window were likely added at the end of the 19^th century. State Street (formerly Queen) has had many names, but here at the intersection of Pleasant, it used to change names from Buck to Broad Street. On the right side the spire of the old Methodist Church, now Temple Israel, is visible in the distance. Early Jewish services were held on the second floor at 252 State Street in what is now the Marple-James building before the synagogue moved up the street in 1912.   (Courtesy Portsmouth Athenaeum)

Above image from Davis Brothers stereocard

BONUS CLOSE-UP

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