I was out riding my road bike over the weekend, and decided to visit a couple streets that I hadn’t been on in a few years.  I meandered down Wild Rose Lane in New Castle after spotting the sign for Fort Stark, saying it was open for the afternoon.  I decided to investigate….the fort played a fairly critical role in the Seacoast’s military history through the wars of the 20th century….and the “Ordnance Machine Shop” seen in the photo above featured a cool map with lights depicting various guns at the forts in NH/ME/MA from Cape Ann in Rockport, MA all the way north to Biddeford, ME…including how far their various weapons could fire out into the ocean to deter enemies.

Pretty darn cool to see some of the working history of the New England seacoast. One of the coolest parts was the gun propped in the middle of the Machine Shop that had formerly been fixed onto one of the cement columns overlooking the harbor at Fort Stark.

Fort Constitution has a stoic feel to it, appropriate for a location first fortified in 1632 for the early New Englanders. Read up more on the site here.  The fort is home to the US Coast Guard and Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, a regular fixture here at The Daily Portsmouth, and one of my favorite landmarks of the seacoast.  The shot below is a view of the Fort from Great Island Common in New Castle.

There is a unique exhibit at The Portsmouth Athenaeum, the beautiful and historic downtown building, Treasures of the American Independence Museum.  The North Church can be seen in the reflection on the 2nd story window. Don’t recognize the building? Head over to a previous post HERE, which shows the building head-on.

I’d never been to the Athenaeum and have wanted to stop in for quite a while, so after getting my morning coffee and seeing the sign out on the sidewalk I decided to go stroll upstairs.  The exhibit is on the top floor with some rustic exposed beams on the ceiling, adjacent to the research room (basically a library). There is a portrait of George Washington, a copy of the Declaration of Independence, some old rifles and a few other portraits and documents. If you like history – head over to check it out.

Fort Constitution makes for a nice trip during a sunny day, and a reminder to New Hampshire’s role in New England’s history. Read more here:  Ft. Constitution. The park also serves home to Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, which, unfortunately, was closed for interior tours this weekend.

UPDATED: Below is one of the 3 images used in composing the HDR above.  Which do you prefer?  Let me know, I’m curious to hear your thoughts!