The Strawbery Banke Museum

By: Garrett Keenum

Over the summer I took a road trip through New England and around the Great Lakes. While on this trip, I visited some great museums; my favorite being in the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. In 1623 when the English colonists established the settlement now known as Portsmouth, they called it Strawbery Banke. The Strawbery Banke Museum takes its name from that original settlement and is actually a complex of 36 historic buildings and homes, 32 of which are standing in their original locations. The construction dates of these structures range from 1695 to 1967, with most being built in the late 1700s. As Portsmouth grew, the original settlement evolved into a neighborhood called Puddle Dock, named for the tidal inlet on which Strawbery Banke was built. In 1958, the neighborhood of Puddle Dock was in danger of being destroyed, so some citizens formed a non-profit organization, purchased the houses, and set to work on restoration and preservation efforts. Thus the Strawbery Banke Museum was born.

Each of the houses that are restored and open to the public is interpreted to highlight a different time period in the neighborhood’s history. The Rider-Wood house is interpreted to the early 19th century and tells the story of one of its residents through archaeology. The Jackson house is not interpreted to any particular era but showcases the process of restoration in historic buildings. The Jones House contains an exhibit about the Abenaki people as well as a land acknowledgment. The Shapley-Drisco House has a very creative interpretation concept. Half of the house is interpreted as a 1790s general store and home while the other half is interpreted as a 1950s dwelling contrasting the beginning and end of the structure’s time as a private residence.

A few of the structures had “role-players” in them to guide visitors on their historical journey. In one dwelling, I met Mr. Shapiro, a Ukrainian Jewish immigrant from 1919. He told me how his house was the first in the neighborhood to add an indoor toilet after his outhouse was destroyed, and he could not find anyone to repair it. He also told me that Portsmouth changed its name from Strawbery Banke because the city felt like the name was not dignified enough for a maritime city of its importance. I also met Mrs. Abbot in her 1943 grocery store where we discussed rationing and its effect on the region. 

There were also several opportunities for learning about different crafts. In the Wheelwright House, I witnessed various breads and desserts being prepared in the early New England style.  In the Cotton Tennant House, I learned to use a loom to weave a few strands of cloth. One of the coolest tradespeople was the cooper at the Dinsmore Shop. Through talking with him I learned that a “barrel” is a unit of measurement and not a container. The container is a “cask.” I spent a great deal of time watching him make casks in the same process that the first European settlers of Strawbery Banke would have used.

Unfortunately, as is the nature of a road trip, I was only in Portsmouth for a limited time and I was not able to spend as much time as I would have liked at the Strawbery Banke Museum. It is one that I would certainly love to see more of one day. If you would like more information on the Strawbery Banke Museum, please visit https://www.strawberybanke.org/