Advertisement
Published: August 11th 2012
Ladd-Gilman House (c. 1721)
American Independence Museum - Exeter NHExeter NH is what I oftentimes have imagined when I visualized a small New England city – colonial homes close enough to the tree-lined street to clutch one side of the sidewalk, classic churches with steeples that command at least a glance against a brilliant blue sky, ornate public buildings that taunt us in melody, “If you knew what I know,” and streets that radiate from the core like spokes on the wheel of a horse-drawn carriage. My drive from Salem MA to The Green Gate Campground in Exeter NH on Tuesday, July 10, 2012 was uneventful, and I was pleased to find that I had only a short 1-1/2 mile drive from the campground to town. Several area towns hosted attractions which made my “to do” list, but my main reason for selecting Exeter as my home base was the American Independence Festival that will take place near the end of my two-week stay.
My first stop on Wednesday was the American Independence Museum in Exeter to learn more about the belated celebration of our nation’s independence, to get more information about festival nuances like parking, to procure whatever tickets I might need lest they be sold out beforehand
Folsom Tavern (c. 1775)
American Independence Museum - Exeter NH and, duh, to visit the museum. The American Independence Museum is actually two buildings: The main “museum” is located in the Ladd-Gilman House (c. 1721) and next door is the Folsom Tavern (c. 1775) where General George Washington was entertained on November 4, 1789.
Originally a brick structure, the Ladd-Gilman House was enlarged and clapboarded in the 1750s and served as the state treasury during the Revolution. It also was the birthplace of John Taylor Gilman (1753-1828), governor of New Hampshire for fourteen years, and Nicholas Gilman, Jr. (1755-1814), signer of the U.S. Constitution. The museum has several artifacts of regional and local interest, but has on display an original draft of the U.S. Constitution complete with the notations of the delegate. The prized possession of the museum is one of 25 surviving Dunlap Broadsides of the Declaration of Independence. It is proudly displayed during each Independence Festival.
The American colonists had been battling British regulars for almost a year by June 1776. The Second Continental Congress had wrestled with the notion of independence and decided that America must be allowed to become a free and independent nation. The Committee of Five; Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams,
Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston; was appointed to draft the document. Jefferson, the best writer in the group, was the primary author. After seventeen days of consulting various sources for wording and inspiration and of pondering the content requirements of the document, Jefferson sent his first draft for consideration by the other members of the committee.
On July 2, the Continental Congress reached agreement on the content and wording of the document. By July 4, John Dunlap had type-set and printed about 150 "broadsides" or poster-sized copies of the Declaration of Independence to be distributed throughout the colonies. A copy arrived in Exeter on horseback on July 16 and was read to the townspeople by John Taylor Gilman. Thus, Exeter celebrates America’s independence near (always on Saturday) the date when its citizens learned of the adoption of the Declaration instead of on the date the Declaration was first signed – July 4.
Another interesting attraction I visited was the Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth NH. The original name for the settlement now known as Portsmouth is Strawbery Banke - yes, that is the correct spelling. The name was derived from the abundance of strawberries growing on the
Puddle Dock Is No Longer A Waterway
Strawbery Banke Museum - Portsmouth NH banks of the Piscataqua River. Strawbery Banke was the site of one of Portsmouth's earliest settlements and existed as a neighborhood from 1630 until the late 1950s. Today, the neighborhood features several dozen restored historic homes. Those buildings in the museum complex are clustered around a large open space that once was a waterway known as Puddle Dock. Ten furnished museum houses are open to the public, and interpreters discuss the history of each house and explain how the dwelling reflects the social changes of its era. In a few locations, costumed docents portray characters from times past while engaged in activities such as weaving, coopering and hearth cooking. In the 1950s, a group of historic preservationists saved Strawbery Banke from urban renewal, and the museum opened in 1965. The admission fee allows access for two consecutive days, but I doubt the second day would be required for most.
The Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, occasionally offers open houses at the facility in New Castle NH. Such was the case on July 15, 2012. It happens that Fort Stark State Historic Site and Fort Constitution State Historic Site are nearby; and, since
Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse From Fort Constitution
Fort Constitution State Historic Site - New Castle NH the lighthouse tours didn’t begin until 1 PM, I visited the historic forts first. I’m really glad the forts were an “oh by the way” addition to the lighthouse. They both are there, and that’s about all that can be said. No kiosks. Limited signage. Fortunately, Fort Constitution shares a property boundary with the Coast Guard Station where Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse is located and Fort Stark is about three miles distant. The lighthouse is nice but lacks the storied past of many, and the views are saturated with reminders of its proximity to our urban world. There are no other buildings open on the tour.
Having some time to spare, I stopped by the Seacoast Science Center in Rye NH. The center is small but nice and is almost exclusively oriented to grade-school age children. I watched one staff member conduct a short “hands on” presentation about lobsters that taxed the attention span of most of the group. One of the aquariums hosted a blue lobster and another some sea horses. The weather was gorgeous, and I was outside for most of the day so – mission accomplished. I cannot in good conscientious; however, suggest any of the four
attractions of the day be placed on your “must see” list.
Another day found me headed back to Rye NH to ride the ferry to the Isles of Shoals. Earlier, I had included the trip on my possible list but had heard repeatedly about the Isles of Shoals since I began sightseeing in New Hampshire. It sounded intriguing! So, on another beautiful New Hampshire day, I headed for the ferry dock. Irene, my GPS, does pretty good with streets but addresses - not so much. I reached a T-intersection very close to where the ferry office should be located (according to my telephone conversation with the agent). Irene told me to turn right. Nothing. I made a U-turn and headed the other direction. Still nothing. I called. Irene was wrong, but so was the agent. The office is located across a parking lot access road from the highway! I arrived with less time to spare than I had planned, but all is well in Larryville.
The Isles of Shoals is a group of small islands about 6 miles off the Atlantic Coast and straddling the state boundaries of New Hampshire and Maine. In the early 17th century, it
became an important fishing area in the New World. Over time, the Isles have served a variety of functions from resort hotels to bombing ranges for the U.S. military to fishing ports. Legend has it that Blackbeard buried some of his treasure in the Isles. A breakwater connecting Malaga Island to Smuttynose Island was built about 1820 by Captain Samuel Haley who is reported to have paid for the construction with proceeds from four bars of silver he found on the island. In 1873, two young women were murdered on Smuttynose Island. After the murderer was found and convicted, that mystery was solved; but, did Captain Haley find all of Blackbeard’s treasure? Mystery and intrigue!
Today the Isle of Shoals is home to a religious conference center affiliated with the United Church of Christ, a wildlife sanctuary and seal colony operated by the Maine Coastal Heritage Trust, a handful of private dwellings and, of course, the second of New Hampshire’s two coastal lighthouses. The captain of the
Uncle Oscar told me the White Island shoreline is treacherous at best, landing a boat there is nigh impossible (without rebuilding the pier long since gone) and it is doubtful the White
Island Lighthouse will ever be opened for public tours. He has, on occasion, anchored off shore and swam to the island. Seeing Portsmouth Harbor from the water was interesting and hearing the history of the islands was fascinating but neither would have made the trip cost or time effective had the weather been unappealing. That was not the case; however - it was a great day to be outside.
Exeter is in overdrive during the American Independence Festival. The Exeter merchants sponsor a barbeque chicken dinner on the Friday evening before the festival to raise money for the museum. Several performances of a patriotic musical are offered Friday through Sunday. I had purchased my ticket for the chicken dinner when I visited the museum, but arrived early to assure myself of a parking space, to acquaint myself with the layout of the festival venue and to chat with some of the locals before the serving line formed. Everyone was very friendly and gave me some great logistical hints for navigating the festival day itself. The dinner was held on the back lawn of a church, and the musical production,
1776 by Sherman Edwards, was to be held at the
old city hall just across the alley.
After enjoying a very good dinner and some more local conversation, I got my ticket for the musical and rubbed a brand new batch of local elbows. The musical was very well done, humorous at points and portrayed several weeks of the meetings (and the concomitant debates) of the Continental Congress prior to the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. The scene that drew the greatest laugh from the audience depicted Thomas Jefferson futilely attempting to scribe a preliminary draft of the declaration. A few minutes after Ben Franklin and John Adams stopped in to check on his progress, a sultry Martha Jefferson appeared. Tommy and Marty engaged in a L-O-N-G passionate kiss and, without a word, hurriedly departed the stage. Adams, totally ignorant at the cause of their departure, was given clue after clue by Franklin until Adams finally exclaimed, “They’re not going to…. (Long pause with Franklin nodding.) My God, it’s the middle of the afternoon!”
Franklin matter-of-factly replied, “Not everyone is from Boston, Mr. Adams.” The audience roared. It appears regional rivalries also exist in New England.
Saturday morning, I got a relatively early start to avoid
Interested Citizens Of Exeter
American Independence Festival - Exeter NH parking hassles. Although none of the festivities had officially begun, downtown Exeter was alive with activity and, it seemed to me, the locals had donned their period finest for the day. Soon General Washington arrived and made a few comments before two horsemen delivered the Declaration of Independence. The document was read to the masses by John Taylor Gilman amid cheers from the patriots, and boos and cries of “Lies,” from the loyalists. At first I was trying to hear the reading of the Declaration and was somewhat annoyed by the disruption, but soon I adopted the flavor of the performance by the locals and enjoyed the good-natured banter that would have been much more malevolent in the day.
Near the army encampment, there were musket and cannon firing demonstrations at scheduled times and a battle re-enactment was conducted demonstrating the military techniques and maneuvers typical of the day. General Washington was receiving guests for photo ops, and the rare Dunlap Broadside copy of the Declaration of Independence was on display. Numerous period tradesmen and craftsmen were on hand plying their skills – furniture, sail, basket and rope makers; a cooper and a blacksmith; and knitters, weavers, spinners and
cooks. Many were offering the visitors an opportunity to participate.
There were plenty of interesting activities to fill the day – until 5 PM. There was a lengthy lull before the fireworks; so I headed home, got a bite to eat and took a nap. I was back in plenty of time for the fireworks, and the grounds were almost deserted. The British soldiers had returned to … England, I suppose; the townspeople had exchanged period attire for casual clothing; and the stores along the main business district had locked the doors. The vendors of fry bread, cotton candy, popcorn and other assorted types of festival food (I think that label is showing considerable restraint) were still on hand. The fireworks show began on schedule and was a very nice show for a small town. Congratulations, Exeter. You put on a great festival in a unique celebration of our nation’s independence.
Sunday found me travelling to nearby Stratham NH for the Stratham Fair. The fair is conducted by the Stratham Volunteer Fire Department and is the primary income generator for the department. In many aspects, the fair reminded me of the county fairs so prevalent in the Midwest.
Chopping Competition
Stratham Fair - Stratham NH A very large midway was on site, 4-H livestock was on display, political parties and politicians had booths and a diverse array of the aforementioned festival food was available.
Unlike the one-day festival in Exeter, the fair was underway for four days. I chose to attend on Sunday because three competitions I had never seen before were on the schedule – lumberjack, ox pulling and draft horse pulling. Between the lumberjack events and the ox pulling competition, I had an opportunity to listen to some very good regional country music artists and between the bovine pulling and the equine pulling, I grabbed a sandwich from the firemen’s booth. It was fun to walk the midway and see how far that industry has come in the last forty-plus years. The evening culminated for me with a remarkable fireworks display. Two evenings in a row! I guess I was in need of some catching up after missing the
William Tell Overture extravaganza in Boston!
My two weeks in the Portsmouth NH area was laid back on several days and full of excitement on several others. On separate days, I stopped in for the free tour at the Redhook Ale Brewery
Oxen-Pulling
Stratham Fair - Stratham NH and the Smuttynose Brewing Company (yes, it was named for Smuttynose Island). The folks at both microbreweries were very hospitable, and the tours were anything but carbon copies. The Saturday festival and Sunday fair provided a punctuation mark to the final weekend of my two-week stay. The people of the greater Portsmouth area were great, the drivers were courteous, the cities are clean and I definitely will keep a return visit as an viable option.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.092s; Tpl: 0.019s; cc: 13; qc: 30; dbt: 0.0341s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
