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Twelve Vignettes of Portsmouth
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Written by Helen Pearson & Harold Hotchkiss Bennett
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Page 5 of 14
PORTSMOUTH ATHENAEUM
Portsmouth, NH
Incorporated by the Legislature of the state in 1803, the New Hampshire Fire
and Marine Insurance Company erected this building in that year, and occupied
it until the suspension of the company, caused principally by its losses in the
War of 1812.
In 1817, the property was purchased by the Portsmouth Athenaeum, a group of gentlemen
who had formed an association to promote a public library. This is not a valuable
collection of books, original manuscripts and Portsmouthiana.
(SeacoastNH.com Update: Today the Athenaeum remains a private library supported by over 300 proprietors. It is open on select
hours to the public three times each week.)
NOTE: Text includes only information popularly known at the time of its publication.
Excerpt from "Vignettes of Portsmouth," (1913) Illustrated by Helen Pearson with
text by Harold Hotchkiss Bennett, Courtesy of Portsmouth Public Library Collection.
Published here courtesy of SeacoastNH.com.
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