STRAWBERY BANKE, PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE





Strawbery Banke, Jefferson Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Photo by Ken Gallager
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Strawbery Banke is the oldest neighborhood in the present city of Portsmouth. It is Located in the southern part of the city and is now a museum.

The history of the neighborhood dates back to 1630 at which time Captain Walter Neal and his small following of Englishmen had been sent out by the Laconia Company which was made up of a group of London merchants. They wanted to establish a colony for economic reasons rather than religious reasons.

Captain Neal and his party received their direction from Captain John Mason in England who had received a land grant in Amercia. They sailed up the Piscataqua River to about 2 miles from the mouth of the river. There he was impressed by the thick growth of wild berries along the west bank. They chose this site for their settlement and named it Strawbery Banke after the wild berries.

A short distance above the small cove, they built a large structure which was called "Great House". This house was to be a trading post and aslo serve as storehouse and living quarters. This river bank was very suitable for planting and trade.

Strawbery Banke grew into a community of about 170 people by 1640. They lived and worked along the Piscataqua River. The settlement was left without any legal authority when the Laconia Company went bankrupt in 1638. The growing colony of Massachusetts Bay extended their jurisdiciton over Strawbery Banke in 1641. This also included Dover, Hampton, & Exeter. Strawbery Banke petitioned the Massachusetts Court and asked to change its name to Portsmouth. The request was granted.
The neighborhood's buildings were saved from 1950s urban renewal by the efforts of a large group of historic preservationists. Strawbery Banke opened as a museum in 1965.


SOURCES:

Wikipedia.com - Strawbery Banke

Strawbery Banke Museum History
< http://www.strawberybanke.org/museum/museumshistory.html >




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