Summer June Jaunt to Portsmouth

Even though it was a rain-soaked Saturday morning and a Farmers Market was in full swing upon Portsmouth City Hall’s upper parking lot, AHSNH’s Summer June Jaunt to Portsmouth was successful. The cheerful umbrella-covered Jaunters met Sandra Rux, our official guide and the historic homes’ House Manager, at city hall’s lower parking lot. Nine eager individuals were present for the June 24 Jaunt: Ruth Greenaway and friend Dina Greene (Nashua Historical Society), Mike and Marie Stanley (Hill Historical Society), Ron and Sandy Prior and Jim and Anne Martin (Wakefield-Brookfield Historical Society), and Frederick Foley (Friends of the Gov. Wentworth State Historic Site, Wolfeboro).

The Jaunters began their exploration of four highly exceptional eighteenth-century-dwellings by visiting the c.1758-built John Paul Jones House with Sandra Rux, then, under the direction of tour guide Julie Lucca, they visited the c.1718-built MacPheadris-Warner House. After a satisfying lunch at Dunaway Restaurant, the Jaunters visited Strawbery Banke Museum for a prearranged tour of its new visitor facility (Tyco Visitors Center). The museum’s president, Lawrence Yerdon, greeted them, and, afterward, guided the enthusiastic Jaunters through the Banke’s newest offering. Following the tour, Ruth and Dina bid the Jaunters a fond farewell. After a leisurely walk to Mechanic Street and under the direction of tour guide Shannon Lefebvre, the seven-remaining Jaunters explored the Wentworth-Gardner and Tobias Lear Houses Associations’ C18 warehouse (now used as a visitor center), the c.1760-built Wentworth-Gardner House, and, finally, the c.1740-built Tobias Lear House.

Throughout the day, Anne and Sandy nattered jovially about an incredibly delicious chocolate shop, thus, the Jaunters ended the day by visiting Byrne & Carlson’s to sample an array of sugary delights that temporarily reside within taste-bud-catching display cases. Finally, after a successful day-long-tour of historic Portsmouth, it was time for the contented Jaunters to say their goodbyes, farewells, and Godspeeds to each other and to journey home with their treasure-trove of pleasant memories and tasty treats.