PORTSMOUTH HISTORIC PLAQUE PROGRAM

Our team of volunteers is saturated with orders from the holidays and we will not be taking new purchase applications until February 1. Please feel free to email and ask questions about the research process before that time.

In 2023, Portsmouth NH 400 (PNH400), the Friends of the South End (FOSE), the Citywide Neighborhood Committee (CNC), and the Portsmouth Athenaeum (P.A.) collaborated to re-institute an Historic House Plaque Program for Portsmouth's 400th Anniversary.   The Portsmouth History Plaque Committee (PHPC) with representatives from FOSE, the CNC, and P.A., will continue to offer the Historic Plaque program in 2024.  

The offer from PNH400 to subsidize $50 of every plaque ended on December 31, 2023.  Plaques will no longer include "1623  History Lights Our Way - 2023."  Portsmouth Athenaeum will be noted on the bottom of the plaque.

Even new houses will be 50 years old when Portsmouth turns 450!

Residents who complete the research and become accredited by the genealogist from P.A. working with PHPC will be able to purchase a sign for their home. The signs are primed and painted white with black hand-painted lettering on 5/4 & red cedar and are available in two sizes.

Cost of Plaque Production:

Small Plaque (9” x 11.25”) - $250.00

Large Plaque (11.25” x 16 “) - $275.00

QUESTIONS? EMAIL PORTSPLAQUES@GMAIL.COM

We accept Credit Card payments only. Payment will be requested from portsplaques@gmail.com upon receiving your form. Once payment is made and we have confirmed receipt, our team of geneologists and architectural historians from the Athenaeum will review the research. Within two weeks they will respond with approval or insights on how to determine the house build date.

WELCOME TO THE EXCITING WORLD OF HOUSE HISTORY RESEARCH

WANT US TO RESEARCH FOR YOU?
CONTACT PORTSPLAQUES@GMAIL.COM

Figuring out the approximate year your house was built (and maybe even the person who built it!) requires combining information from several places to create a full and accurate picture. It’s detective work!

NOTE: We encourage all beginner researchers to visit the Portsmouth Athenaeum first. Many of the resources you will need to consult are here, and the knowledgeable staff can assist you with your research. Your plaque application must use at least three of the following ways to document your house’s history:

DEEDS
Trace your house’s ownership back to its original owner. This can be hard for houses built in the 1700s and early 1800s. Include the names of each buyer and seller, the dates of each sale, and the deed book number and page number for each sale.

  • How to Do It: 
    Start by going to MapGeo for the City of Portsmouth. Click on “Go to MapGeo,” then type your address into the search box in the upper right corner. This will give you your property’s Map-Lot number and the deed book and page number for the most recent deed. This information will help with the next step.

  • Go next to NH Deeds for Rockingham County, click on “Search County Records,” accept the Disclaimer Agreement at the bottom of the page, then click **AVA** to search. Read the instructions carefully!

  • You can also go to the Rockingham County Registry of Deeds at 10 Route 125 in Brentwood for personal assistance, or call them at (603) 642-5526.

MAPS
Find the first appearance of your property on a historic map of Portsmouth.

How to Do It: 
City maps published in 1813 and 1850 show building footprints, and an 1876 map identifies property owners. You can view these maps at the Portsmouth Athenaeum, or online at:

Fire insurance maps show detailed information about the homes and businesses in the compact part of the city. Maps for Portsmouth were published in 1887, 1892, 1898, 1904, 1910, 1920, and 1949. You can view these maps at the Portsmouth Athenaeum, or online at the Library of Congress.

HISTORY
A narrative history of your house. This could include people and events associated with your home, and information on the building’s design, style, setting, materials or workmanship. Include all sources consulted.

OWNERSHIP
Trace the history of your house’s owners.

How to Do It: 
Trace the names of your house’s previous owners through deeds, as shown above.

Consult Portsmouth City Directories. These were published roughly every two years beginning in 1823. You can find them at the Portsmouth Athenaeum and at the Portsmouth Public Library Special Collections Room.

PORTSMOUTH ADVOCATES’ 1982 HISTORIC DISTRICT SURVEY
Find your house in this comprehensive survey of Portsmouth’s historic buildings. Basic information found here can point you toward further research to complete your project.

How to Do It: 
Consult the Portsmouth Historic District Survey at the Portsmouth Athenaeum.

View the Portsmouth Historic District Survey online.

Questions? Need advice? Contact the Portsmouth Historic Plaques Program at PORTSPLAQUES@GMAIL.COM

RESOURCES

MAPS