MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Don't miss this chance to discover Portsmouth’s historic landmarks sponsored by Portsmouth Advocates, part of the Portsmouth Historical Society.   A series four exclusive tours lead by Prof. Richard M. Candee, author of Building Portsmouth, will explore this city's intriguing architectural landscape. (See details below)  

TOUR DATES: Tour Dates: July 27, August 10, September 7 and October 12, 2013. All tours leave at 11AM.  

All tours begin at Discover Portsmouth located at 10 Middle Street.  The cost is $5 for members of the Portsmouth Historical Society and $10 for non-members.  Memberships are available in the Visitor Center at Discover Portsmouth before the tour. Limited spaces are available. Please call Discover Portsmouth at (603) 436-8433 for reservations. 

The first tour will highlight the landmarks of Downtown Portsmouth , among them the Portsmouth Athenaeum built in 1805 for the NH Fire & Marine Insurance Company, the old and n new Custom Houses, and the major churches of the city center. One gem is the Rockingham Hotel built originally in 1785 which was enlarged in 1870 and nearly destroyed by fire in 1884.  Fortunately Frank Jones hired Boston architect Jabez Sears to rebuild the hotel the following year. It was remodeled into condos by the same architects who created the center block of Discover Portsmouth in 1976. 

Other tours in the series cover Portsmouth’s South End in August, followed by the Brick Act of 1814 in September and Haymarket Square and the Victorian West End in October.

Portsmouth Advocates  is a preservation group that promotes the maintenance of the historical and architectural integrity of the city and to encourage the preservation and restoration of historically significant structures. The Advocates are dedicated to the preservation of our city’s unique historic character as an essential part of making Portsmouth a better place to live and work.

Your guide for the series is Richard M. Candee, Professor Emeritus of American and New England Studies at Boston University, where he directed the Preservation Studies Program for nearly 30 years. He has published nearly a hundred articles, essays, and reviews as well as four books specifically about Portsmouth. He has been Chairman of the Warner House Association, President of the Portsmouth Athenaeum and is President of the Portsmouth Historical Society. Before and after “retirement” he has mounted exhibits and published on several local artists including Thomas P. Moses, Harry M. S. Harlow, Russell Cheney and Omer Lassonde, as well as being curator of “Maritime Portsmouth: the Sawtelle Collection.” He currently is curator of “Bridging the Piscataqua: Construction and Community” on exhibit at Discover Portsmouth until October.  The exhibit and copies of Richard Candee’s Building Portsmouth are available at Discover Portsmouth which is open from 10-5PM daily.  For more information about the Portsmouth Historical Society and the Portsmouth Advocates visit PortsmouthHistory.org.