Black Heritage Trail in Portsmouth, NH

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A light blue, black, and white striped header image with the worlds Black Heritage Trail Portsmouth, NH

Throughout my three-day trip to the Greater Portsmouth, New Hampshire area, I walked along the Black Heritage Trail. A similar trail exists in Boston, Massachusetts alongside Boston African American National Historic Site, whose founder, Byron Rushing, spoke during Day 1 of the Historic New England Summit 2022. A self-guided audio tour is available through the Geotourist website and app, while a map of the tour can be printed at home or picked up at the Discover Portsmouth Welcome Center, managed by Portsmouth Historical Society. Stops on this tour include historic house museums, churches, private residences, and places where the original structure no longer exists.

Calm blue water under a matching blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds. Fishing boats sit in the water, and cranes for construction line up on the opposite shore.  A three-story whitewashed clapboard house behind a white fence. A three-story red brick house, three windows across, with black shutters A three-story whitewashed clapboard house behind a white fence with a flat roof.

Governor John Langdon House, which I visited on the second day of my trip, was the workplace of emancipated servant Cyrus Bruce, spelled on his sign as “Siras de Bruce”, who managed the Langdon estate and wore fabulous clothes. He and his wife, Flora Stoodley Bruce, lived in their own home near the mansion. Prince Whipple, who worked with nineteen other African-born Black men to write a petition for freedom to New Hampshire State Legislature, lived and worked at Moffatt-Ladd House, which I visited on the third day.

Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail plaque for Prince Whipple and Winsor Moffatt, Revolutionary Petitioners Sherburne House, a two-and-a-half story unpainted clapboard house in a mid to late 17th century colonial style. A small British flag flies in front of the house. A two-story red brick house with a natural wood door. Two swarths of red, white, and blue bunting hang from two pairs of upper windows.

Stooley Tavern, William Pitt Taverne, Sherburne House, and Penhallow House are properties of Strawbery Banke, which I visited on the first day. One pair of stories, marked by a plaque, involved an enslaved man named James who worked at Stooley Tavern. In one case, he knocked a man unconscious for attempting to break the sign of the tavern, which belonged to his master, John Stavers. In another case, he was compelled to steal food by a pair of local women. James was never arrested, as his status meant he presumably could not act by his own will.

A red sign with white text describing Penhallow House, c. 1750 Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail plaque for The Black Sherburne Family Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail plaque for James (Stavers) Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail plaque for Siras Bruce at Stoodley's Tavern

The trail boasts several churches with Black members. A free Black woman named Venus attended St. John’s Church, an Episcopal church, and was recorded as donating $1 on Christmas Day. South Church, a Unitarian church, served as a stop on the Underground Railroad and operated schools for Black children after the Civil War. While Black members of North Church, a Congregationalist church, were forced to sit in “Negro Pews” in the balcony, the congregation had many notable members who attended with their masters, including Flora Stoodley and her first husband Frank Stoodley, and Prince Whipple and his wife Dinah Chase Whipple.

Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail plaque for Lost Boundaries A light blue sign with the title 'Portsmouth Navy Yard', which includes information about the Russo-Japanese War, the U.S.S. Kearsarge steamship, the Navy Yard Prison, and other nearby sites. A Neoclassical style stone church modeled after a Greek temple, with four concrete pillars holding up a large pediment at the front of the building A light blue sign with the title 'The South Church', which includes a recent photograph of the church interior, an old photograph of Portsmouth when South Church and North Church were the tallest buildings, a portrait of early 19th century minister Rev. Nathan Parker, and an explanation of Universalism. A distant view of St. John's Church, a red brick two story building with a white, wooden steeple Macphaedris-Warner House, a three story red brick house with a white, wooden cupola surrounded by a white fence.

Rockingham House, formerly Rockingham Hotel, was the headquarters during production for the movie Lost Boundaries. The film was shot by Exeter native Louis DeRochemont, better known for “The March of Time” newsreels, and told the story of a biracial doctor passing as white in New Hampshire. While the movie was controversial for using white actors to play the main roles, it did change the opinions of James Barker Smith, the owner of the hotel, who later allowed the NAACP to hold meetings in the building.

Side view of the Rockingham, a five-story red-brick condo complex with green wooden bumpouts. Sunset view of the Rockingham, with the sun setting in the back corner of the building. A pair of golden lions stand on the top step of stairs cut into a grassy incline. Looking up at the Rockingham. The name of the building is set in white uppercase letters on the side of the building. The symmetrical red brick five-story structure has blue-tinted windows on earch floor.

The most sobering stop on the trip was the African Burial Ground Memorial Park. Used in the 18th century, and the only known African Burial Ground in New England, the cemetery was paved over to further development in Portsmouth. The monument includes sculptures representing those buried beneath the pavement, quotes inscribed in the sidewalk, and signs on the surrounding buildings.

A memorial with seven golden figures representing the Black Portsmouth residents buried on the grounds. A statue of a woman wearing mid 19th century clothing. Her back is against a granite slab. Metal statue of a man wearing mid 19th century clothing. His back is against a granite slab. A sign topped with a red-and-cream insignia that looks like a curly heart. The sign highlights the first black person recorded in Portsmouth history. A sign topped with a red-and-cream insignia that looks like a curly heart. The sign highlights the enslaved Africans who petitioned for their freedom in 1779. A sign topped with a red-and-cream insignia that looks like a curly heart. The sign highlights records of the African Burying Ground. A sign topped with a red-and-cream insignia that looks like a curly heart. The sign highlights documentary evidence for African Burying Ground. Colorful ceramic tiles reminiscent of kente cloth from subsaharan Africa An insignia that looks like a curly heart made with reddish-orange tiles. The shape is called a sankofa. The design is on top of a burial vault. A granite monument with a pair of signs on top, which describe the symbolism of the different artworks at African Burial Ground.

Similar to the Historical Walking Tour in Exeter, this self-guided audio tour was thoroughly researched, well-written, and had great voiceover talent. The transcript beneath a high resolution image of each stop enables Deaf and hearing impaired visitors to enjoy the tour. Portsmouth is a highly walkable city, with maintained sidewalks and crosswalks. However, the full tour covers a significant amount of ground and may not be feasible for everyone. Driving through Portsmouth may be a better option, especially for families with younger children or people with limited mobility.

Location: 222 Court St, Portsmouth, NH 03801, USA