Portsmouth now a 'distinctive destination'
Preservation trust has historic city on its list
Just in time for the summer travel season, the city of Portsmouth, N.H., has received a gift from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The trust named the city as one of its "Dozen Distinctive Destinations of 2008."
The city was selected for its "culturally rich destinations" and "captivating blend of coastal beauty, historic buildings, and lively downtown," according to the citation.
"Portsmouth's selection is a tribute to the community's commitment and care in the preservation of its historical character," said Wendy Nicholas, director of the Northeast office of the trust. She said that as a "Distinctive Destination," the city will be included in the trust's travel guide and website. It is the ninth year the organization has compiled such a list, which is timed to coincide with prospective visitors planning summer vacations.
"It's a list of places that have protected their historical character and offer a pleasurable experience for visitors," Nicholas said.
Portsmouth was the only city in New England to make the list.
"That's what makes it such an honor," Portsmouth Mayor Tom Ferrini said last week. "There are many historic cities and towns in New England. But Portsmouth is not a stultified place; it's a vibrant city, where history comes alive. To be recognized in this way is a great honor, not only for the city but [for] the many men and women who made it happen."
Nicholas cited the Portsmouth Athenaeum, the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail, and the historic village at StrawberyBanke as among the city's attractions. Strawbery Banke is the museum compound in which 35 buildings bring to life various periods in the city's 400-year-old history. It is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
And, though it's just outside the city limits in New Castle, the Wentworth-by- the-Sea Hotel and Spa, the grand waterfront hotel originally built in 1874 that was reopened in 2003, also was touted by Nicholas.
"It's a historic hotel that's become an important part of people's lives again. It's a wonderful place where Portsmouth residents celebrate weddings, birthdays, graduations, and other important highlights of their lives."
Settled in 1623 at the mouth of the Piscataqua River, Portsmouth has been a major fishing and shipbuilding center for centuries. After a series of fires in the early 1800s, many of the city's buildings were rebuilt in brick, creating an extraordinary cityscape frozen in time, with boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants in buildings that have changed little in more than a century.
Nicholas said she particularly enjoys the downtown shopping. "You shop among all those historic buildings, yet it's vibrant and alive."
The city, though still an active seaport, has dozens of restaurants and tour boats that depart for the Isles of Shoals.
Sandra Rux, museums and collections manager of the Portsmouth Historical Society, said the city's addition to the list has garnered national publicity. "It reminds local people that we're here and will let people from far away know we exist."
According to Rux, many New Englanders remember the city only as the traffic bottleneck at the Portsmouth Rotary, which they passed through on their trips north during summer vacations before the rotary was bypassed by Interstate 95. And those who took the time to drop by decades ago, Rux said, remember it as "a shipyard city with lots of bars. . . . It's not reconstructed like Colonial Williamsburg; it's the real thing."
Ferrini said the revitalization of the city is a triumph of urban renewal. "It all began with the creation of Strawbery Banke," which caused some residents, like his grandmother, to be displaced. "But, while it was bad news for some, it energized the city, and energized many people to keep the culture alive."
Nicki Noble, the Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce's tourism manager, said she also has been energized by Portsmouth's placement on the trust's list. "Essentially, it validates a lot of hard work by a lot of people who are committed to the city's arts and cultural institutions."
Noble said the chamber intends to use the distinctions as "a marketing tool to sell the city as the cultural center that it is. The timing couldn't be better. The city will be opening a new cultural information center at the former library [on Islington Street] on Memorial Day." 