SeacoastNH.com Presents
Historic Portsmouth #255

You can blame much of the holiday traffic in New England on Capt. John Smith of England. After his Virginia affair with Pocahontas, Smith toured this region in 1614. His published map helped guide the European occupation that followed. (Continued below)

This memorial to Smith at the Isles of Shoals (he called them the Smith Isles) was first erected in 1864 by ministers from Portsmouth. It commemorated the 250^th anniversary of Smith’s visit. The monument was originally topped by three "Turk’s heads" to symbolize the captors that Smith beheaded while escaping from prison during the Crusades. (The connecting rods are still visible here.) The pillar soon collapsed into the sea and the guano-stained base has been patched and repaired on the tip of Star Island ever since. (Courtesy Portsmouth Athenaeum photo/ Star Island Collection)

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