LEGENDS
John Langdon, whose mansion on Pleasant Street (above) is preserved by Historic New England -- first Governor of New Hampshire -- was among those who raided Fort William and Mary on December 13, 1774 and seized gunpowder from the British that was later used against them at the Battle of Bunker (Breeds) Hill.
A group of New Hampshire revolutionaries marched on the fort in the middle of the night, confronted the six British soldiers standing guard, and carried the gunpowder up the river to Exeter (by gundalow). Accounts vary as to whether shots were fired or whether the commander of the guard was hosting a dinner party in the company of his wife and small child.
Some of Portsmouth's Legends found resting places in the City's historic cemeteries. Historical markers note some of those interred in these spaces:
Point of Graves (left) and (right).
Many of the bridges to Portsmouth are named or linked to prominent Seacoast women: the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge was dedicated in 1987 to Sarah Mildred Long, whose career with the Maine Department of Transportation spanned the building of the bridge. The bridge connecting Portsmouth and Dover was dedicated in 2018 to NH Executive Councillor Ruth Griffin. And the Memorial Bridge was opened in 1923 and 2013 by Eileen Dondero Foley below, right) who followed her mother's example of public service to become Mayor of Portsmouth.
William Whipple of Portsmouth was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and planted this horse chestnut tree outside his home (now the Moffatt-Ladd House) in 1776 to affirm the roots established when the members of the New Hampshire Council signed the 1713 Treaty of Portsmouth independent of the Royal Colony of Massachusetts. Governor Langdon, delegate to the Constitutional Congress rallied Portsmouth citizens to ratify the US Constitution on June 21, 1788, ensuring New Hampshire was the state that made the nation. Portsmouth still prospers on the wings of its proprietors, established and rising
Portsmouth Legends included colonial merchants and Revolutionary War patriots (such as John Paul Jones, right), distinguished statesmen and women, entrepreneurs, the founders of Seacoast institutions and familiar names over 300+ years. For additional information:
Portsmouth Historic Sites Associates
Portsmouth Athenaeum
City Historic Marker: Frank Jones
Portsmouth City Council Chambers: Mayor Eileen Dondero Foley
Moffatt-Ladd House Chestnut : Declaration Signer William Whipple
