The City of Portsmouth has embarked upon a project to replace “Visual Labels” which were scattered tthroughout Portsmouth’s historic downtown.
The 42 markers were originally created and installed in 1977 under the auspices of a partnership between Strawbery Banke, the City of Portsmouth, and a local civic association. The entire project was funded at that time through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1973.
The original historic markers were fabricated using a “Metalphoto” process in which photographic images and typewritten text were transferred onto photosensitive aluminum sheets. The titles of some of the markers included well-known historical neighborhoods such as Puddledock, as well as some more obscure homes, like the Morgan Oratorical Academy said to be “the first structure deliberately adapted for music and plays in New Hampshire”. Other sign topics include “The First Chapel”, “The Great Fires of Portsmouth”, “South Ropewalk”, “South Mills”, and “Franklin Foundry” to name a few.
Through the Capital Improvement Program funding has been set aside to replace these markers utilizing updated scholarship as well as modern graphic technology, color and materials. The links below each represent a marker that has been installed or will be installed during the early spring of 2012.
