What’s the story of Portsmouth’s various neighborhoods? Over the winter I will be gradually exploring our communities. What history happened here? Who are people of note who lived here? What can you see of the past and what recreations can you enjoy today?
Portsmouth has never had a central “downtown” area like most communities. The original settlers tried to create a traditional town with residences clustered together and farm lots further away, but that is not what the settlers wanted.
Original settlements centered around Common Fence and Town Pond. They opted to live spread out on their farmlands. So Portsmouth developed neighborhoods instead of a central town.
Some of those neighborhoods centered around the ferry landings – Bristol Ferry Road and Glen Street heading to the Fogland Ferry.
The Glen area of Portsmouth featured the grand Taylor family Glen Farm.
South Portsmouth featured large “Gentlemen’s Farms.”
Quaker Hill and Middle Road took on importance as a central spot with Town Hall and the Quaker Meeting House.
The Melville area took on importance when the military claimed most of the Westside of town.
Lawton’s Valley – Wading River was the home of Julia Ward Howe and the site of the mysterious death of Rebecca Cornell.
Newtown was a planned central downtown, but it never seemed to reach its promise. The location along East Main Road, however, made it somewhat a commercial and social area with churches, the library and businesses.
Island Park was created as a summer resort and Park Avenue – on the way to the Stone Bridge and Ferry, was as close to a “downtown” as Portsmouth ever would experience.
portsmouthhistorynotes 