The Hill is a historic and colorful neighborhood located atop Deer and Hanover Streets in downtown Portsmouth. It’s filled with beautifully colored homes from around the city, in the city’s Norther Tier. This area is set for some interesting changes over the next five years, with the progression of the Portwalk Place project and the potential future of the Westin Conference Center. I like this shot with the sense of space it conveys and the clarity of the clapboards.
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.
Today features one of my favorite shots of the Portsmouth Athenaeum. This shot of Market Square was taken just in front of Breaking New Grounds at the corners of Market Street and Congress Street. Go visit the building sometime on a Thursday afternoon – it’s easily one of the coolest places in town, when you walk in you can simply feel the seacoast history in the room. The reading room is just inside the large rounded doorframe, and you instantly feel as though you’re back in the 1700s or so, with gigantic paintings of historic figures adorning the wall and cool flooring & carpentry throughout.
I hope to do an indoor shoot in the near future and share some of the beauty with all the readers here!
Today features another view of the Wentworth By The Sea. Shot in the Fall of 2009, it features pumpkins and some fall decor…but the well manicured grounds still boast green grass and vibrant plant life. I’m looking forward to seeing the return of the lush grass with the return of spring.
I tried something new with this shot and love how the beautifully restored building seems to pop off of the muted sky. Below is a more dramatic and surreal shot from the same time of year…an interesting contrast to the more natural look above.
The iconic Moran Tugboats are located on the waterfront on the opposite side of where these ancient rowhouses are situated on Market Street. The Decks are the place to be once warm weather arrives, and you’ll often find them crowded early in the afternoon on a gorgeous day. This will be the last season in their current configuration, with Poco’s deck being torn down and moved up against the building. The City will be expanding the public park space for patrons, so the waterfront seating will be limited to The Old Ferry Landing, the new River House set to open this summer, and Harpoon Willy’s. This was my first HDR that I was actually pleased with how it came out. It still looks more like a painting than real life, but that’s what I like about this shot…because that’s how I’ll always remember the Decks.
Full size here: FLICKR
The iconic Moran Tugboats are located on the waterfront on the opposite side of where these ancient rowhouses are situated on Market Street. The Decks are the place to be once warm weather arrives, and you’ll often find them crowded early in the afternoon on a gorgeous day. This will be the last season in their current configuration, with Poco’s deck being torn down and moved up against the building. The City will be expanding the public park space for patrons, so the waterfront seating will be limited to The Old Ferry Landing, the new River House set to open this summer, and Harpoon Willy’s. This was my first HDR that I was actually pleased with how it came out. It still looks more like a painting than real life, but that’s what I like about this shot…because that’s how I’ll always remember the Decks.
Full size here: FLICKR
The Hill in Portsmouth’s Northern Tier (now sandwiched between the Hilton Garden Inn on Hanover Street and the Sheraton Harborside on Deer Street), consists of old historic homes formerly located in Portsmouth’s North End, which was formerly the city’s predominantly Italian neighborhood. The homes were saved and relocated to their existing locations, now known simply as The Hill. The buildings give the area some unique character… but the Northern Tier will continue to be a changing place as well, as the Parade Mall is slated for redevelopment and as the proposed Westin conference center is built across the street from the Sheraton. Will be cool to watch the process.
Full size here: FLICKR
THE DAILY PORTSMOUTH 