Jan 25, 2023 – Jim Garman Lecture “North Portsmouth” The Portsmouth Historical Society and Common Fence Point Arts, Wellness, and Community Center co-hosted a well-illustrated lecture “The History of North Portsmouth” by Jim Garman, Portsmouth Town Historian The northern part of Portsmouth has a great deal of historical importance. The original founders arrived in 1638 […]

Dec 8, 2022 – Members’ Annual Meeting was held at the museum. President Anne Northup Burns provided an overview of 2022 actvities before a presentation by Maria Vasquez on the museum’s historic flags. Download a PDF copy of the presentation = click here Featured Program UNDERSTANDING OUR FLAGS: FROM THE CIVIL WAR AND EARLIER Guest

Indigenous Peoples of Portsmouth During the Colonial Period Many people may be unaware of the influences and contributions of indigenous peoples, such as the Narragansett and the Pokanoket, in the early history of Portsmouth. There is a general feeling and misconception that once Aquidneck Island was transferred to the English, indigenous peoples were no longer

Oct 23, 2022 – The Socity was pleased to offer the museum and grounds for a ceremony to remember the Marines lost as a result of the terrorist bomb attack of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon on Oct 23, 1983.

October 12, 2012. This we call New England has only been settled by Europeans since the 1600s.  The first people to live here came more than 10,000 years ago. Recent discoveries put the history of the native people in the Americans back more than 30,000 years. Mr. McNiff will delve into that story, about what

Sept 12, 2022 – Town Historian, Board Member and Past President of the Portsmouth Historical Society, was presented the “Portsmouth Award” for exceptional community service for preserving and conveying Portsmouth’s rich history. The the award was presented by Town Council President Kevin Aguiar at the Town Council meeting on September 12, 2022.

Aug 28- Sept 4 – indigenous Artifacts are featured at the museum.

August 18, 2022 – The Society’s second “Evening at Blue Bill Cove” was held on the Lawn at Thriving Tree on Park Ave  in Island Park. There was music by Deja Vu, a mini-trivia contest, an art show by the Portsmouth Arts Guild, and a Jim Garman lecture on the Howland Ferry! Nearly 60 attended!

August 18, 2022 – The Captain Alfred Southwick Chase (1822-1900) Brig Model, ca. 1875, a gift of Mr. and Mrs. David Sanford Chase was set up in the Portsmouth Town Hall Lobby This wooden model of a brig was built by Captain Alfred Southwick Chase of Portsmouth, R.I., in about 1860. It was restored by

. Aug 4, 2022 – – The Portsmouth Historical Society presented a local history lecture by Town Historian Jim Garman. Since the founding of Portsmouth in 1638 there have been close relations between Portsmouth and Tiverton. The main barrier was finding a way to communicate with one another. In the early colonial days numerous ferries