----------Team New Hampshire's Letterboxing Tales----------: Rockin and Rollin in the Granite State

Portsmouth, New Hampshire
population 20,784 (2000)

Settled in 1630 as Piscataqua, this beautiful town sits on the strawberry banks, as it would soon be known, of the Piscataqua River. 53 years later, Portsmouth finally got its name in honor of the colonies founder, a captain of the port of Portsmouth England, John Mason. Fishing and ship building was the towns main industry as well as being a perfect location for trade with numerous upstream industries, such as logging.
In December of 1774, Paul Revere, more known for his famous ride a year later, rode into Portsmouth to warn of the possibility that the British may be coming. He also urged the colonists to attack and capture Fort Constitution, now known as Fort William and Mary. Some concider this attack to be one of the first acts of military force in the Revolutionary War.
Now a days, you can still visit Strawbery Banke and explore one of Portsmouth's oldest neighborhoods. Many of the homes has been restored to thier colonial, georgian, and federal style architecture. Visitors to such marvel were George Washington, Daniel Webster, John Hancock, as well as other well known early colonial famous.
The Jackson House, built in 1664 by Richard Jackson, is one of the oldest remaining wood frame houses in New Hampshire and Maine. The Jackson House resembles English post-medevil prototypes but notably American in its extravagant use of wood.
Known by locals, a unexplained event, which happens regularly, can be seen in the South Cemetery. The Glowing Tombstone, no matter the weather conditions, seems to glow in the night. Locals try to explain the mysterious glow as a reflection off the pond, or a traffic light, or even a street light from a near by street. Whatever the case may be, the glow can be seen up to 200 yards away. To see this glow, visit the South Cemetery by entering the South Street entrance, walk down the path to the pond (right). Look across the pond for the glowing stone in the middle of 3 squarish stones in a row. I have not seen this, only read about it.
Portsmouth was also the home to William Whipple, who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Before is early death, he served as an associate justice of the New Hampshire Superior Court.