Portsmouth Trip Overview
This bike tour is our most comprehensive tour of the area’s history. Once one of the nation’s busiest ports and shipbuilding cities, Portsmouth expressed its wealth in fine architecture and has significant examples of Colonial, Georgian, and Federal style houses, some of which are now museums. This easy bike tour will take you through the most beautiful and interesting characteristics, architecture and historic significant aspects of the city. We will see the historic landmarks and house museums and hear about the history that makes up our delightful & highly admired historic landscape. Stop en route to hear interesting facts about each site you visit, including the Wentworth Coolidge Mansion, Fitz John Porter Memorial, African Burying Memorial, Prescott Park, Four Tree Island, Historic South End, Wentworth by the Sea, & Fort Stark. Learn about the some of the historic home’s architectural features as we bike our way thru the Historic South End’s beautiful architecture. 10-12 easy mi.
Additional Info
Duration: 3 hours
Starts: Portsmouth, United States
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Portsmouth Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States
This bike tour is our most comprehensive tour of the area’s history. Once one of the nation’s busiest ports and shipbuilding cities, Portsmouth expressed its wealth in fine architecture and has significant examples of Colonial, Georgian, and Federal style houses, some of which are now museums. This easy bike tour will take you through the most beautiful and interesting characteristics, architecture and historic significant aspects of the city. We will see the historic landmarks and house museums and hear about the history that makes up our delightful & highly admired historic landscape. Stop en route to hear interesting facts about each site you visit, including the Wentworth Coolidge Mansion, Fitz John Porter Memorial, African Burying Memorial, Prescott Park, Four Tree Island, Historic South End, Wentworth by the Sea, & Fort Stark. Learn about the some of the historic home’s architectural features as we bike our way thru the Historic South End’s beautiful architecture. 10-12 easy mi.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Prescott Park, 105 Marcy St next to Portsmouth Harbor, Portsmouth, NH 03801-4616
We’ll tell a brief story about the Prescott Sisters and Piscataqua River
Duration: 8 minutes
Pass By: Strawbery Banke Museum, 14 Hancock St, Portsmouth, NH 03801-4669
View of the Historic Outdoor museum
Stop At: Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion, 375 Little Harbor Rd, Portsmouth, NH 03801-5527
We’ll travel down this beautiful country road with protected land on both sides of the street and stop at the Wentworth Coolidge Mansion. At this most beautiful historic landmark, we’ll see the back channel and you’ll hear stories of the royal governor Benning Wentworth, the Boston Braman Coolidge and Little Harbor`s history.
Duration: 8 minutes
Stop At: New Castle, New Castle, New Hampshire
New Castle, a one-mile square island at the mouth of the Piscataqua River, has a fascinating history. Settled as a fishing village, it became the capital of the province of New Hampshire in the late 1600s. The first overt act of the Revolutionary War took place in New Castle at Fort William and Mary. Over the following years, military fortifications were constructed on the island to defend the strategic and vital entrance to Portsmouth Harbor. Many of the original island families continue to preserve New Castle’s history through their generous donation of historic documents, maps, books, photographs and artifacts. As a quaint and picturesque village, New Castle weathers the changes of time with grace!
Duration: 7 minutes
Stop At: Fort Constitution State Historic Site, Route 1B U.S. Coast Guard Station, New Castle, NH 03854-3004
Fort Constitution State Historic Site is located on a peninsula on the northeast corner of New Castle Island. It overlooks both the Piscataqua River and the Atlantic Ocean. The grounds provide a casual gathering spot for picnics. In 1791, the State of New Hampshire gave the United States the neck of land on which Fort William and Mary and a lighthouse were situated. The fort was repaired, renamed Fort Constitution and garrisoned with a company of United States artillery. Renovations, which included a wall twice as high as that of the colonial fort and new brick buildings, were completed in 1808. It is the ruins of this fort that are seen today.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Fort Stark State Historic Site, 211 Wild Rose Ln, New Castle, NH 03854-4413
Fort Stark Historic Site is located on a peninsula historically called Jerry’s Point on the southeast corner of New Castle Island. It overlooks the Piscataqua River, Little Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean. Fort Stark was named in honor of John Stark, commander of N.H. forces at the Battle of Bennington (1777). An unmarked walking trail traverses the ten-acre fort site. Please visit with caution! Fort Stark is a former military installation. Beware of dangers of unprotected stairs, high walls, rough ground and slippery rocks. Adult supervision of children is required.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Prescott Park, 105 Marcy St next to Portsmouth Harbor, Portsmouth, NH 03801-4616
The Prescott sisters, Josie and Mary, are directly responsible for the creation of what is now known as Prescott Park. Josie and Mary were public school teachers and lived in Portsmouth all of their lives. When their older brother, Charles Prescott, died he left the two sisters a sizable inheritance. Josie and Mary loved their city and long desired to see the waterfront section along what is now Marcy Street beautified and made accessible to all. In the last will and testament of Josie Prescott a private trust fund of $500,000 was set up just for this purpose. This trust’s sole purpose was to purchase land parcels along the Piscataqua River from lower State Street to Pickering and Gates Street and to make this land into a public park. In 1954 with much of the land purchase accomplished this private trust and associated land were turned over to the City of Portsmouth to be administered and maintained for perpetuity. The Prescott Trust Fund, now a city trust fund, is responsible.
Duration: 7 minutes
