Strawbery Banke Museum

Strawbery Banke Museum is a living history museum located in the heart of the historic Puddle Dock neighborhood in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Encompassing ten acres, the museum preserves and interprets over 300 years of American history through its collection of more than 30 restored buildings dating from the 17th to the 20th centuries. Named for the wild berries found by early settlers along the Piscataqua River, it serves as an outdoor history museum focused on the evolution of a single waterfront neighborhood and its diverse inhabitants.

History

The museum's origins are rooted in the urban renewal projects of the 1950s, when the Puddle Dock neighborhood, one of the oldest parts of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was slated for demolition. A preservation effort led by local citizens, including Dorothy Vaughan of the Portsmouth Historical Society, successfully campaigned to save the area. In 1958, the nonprofit organization Historic Portsmouth, Inc. was formed to acquire properties, and the museum officially opened to the public in 1965. The site's archaeological significance was immediately recognized, with major excavations conducted by Ivor Noël Hume and later by the museum's own archaeology department, uncovering artifacts that informed the restoration of buildings like the Sherburne House. Key figures in its development included early directors J. Dennis Robinson and James L. Garvin, who helped establish its scholarly and interpretive foundations.

Collections and exhibits

The museum's extensive collections include over 30,000 artifacts recovered from archaeological digs and donated items that document domestic life, maritime trade, and craftsmanship from the colonial period through the mid-20th century. Core exhibits are presented in period-furnished houses, such as the Walsh House which depicts life during World War II, and the Pitt Tavern, a hotbed of political debate during the American Revolution. The Tyco Visitors Center houses rotating exhibits, while the museum's landscape archaeology program interprets centuries of changes to the grounds. Notable artifacts include ceramics from the North End Pottery and documents related to the Portsmouth Peace Treaty.

Historic buildings and grounds

The museum campus features authentically restored structures representing various architectural styles and periods. Among the oldest is the c. 1695 Sherburne House, a rare example of First Period English construction, and the c. 1762 Governor Goodwin Mansion. The 1795 Rundlet-May House showcases Federal architecture, while the 1860 Abbott Store illustrates a Victorian-era grocery. The grounds themselves are a historical exhibit, featuring heritage heirloom plant gardens, an early 20th-century Victory garden, and reconstructed wharf structures along the original shoreline, demonstrating the area's ties to the Atlantic world trade networks.

Educational programs and events

The museum offers a wide array of educational initiatives, including hands-on history education programs for school groups aligned with New Hampshire curriculum frameworks. Popular annual events include the Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival, the Candlelight Stroll during the holidays, and the Heritage House Program where costumed interpreters demonstrate traditional crafts like coopering and hearth cooking. The museum also hosts lectures in partnership with institutions like the New Hampshire Historical Society and runs summer camps focused on archaeology and colonial history.

Governance and organization

Strawbery Banke Museum is governed by a Board of directors and operated by the nonprofit corporation Historic Portsmouth, Inc. It receives support from memberships, grants from organizations such as the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and revenue from admissions and special events. The museum maintains a professional staff including curators, archaeologists, preservation carpenters, and educators, and collaborates frequently with the City of Portsmouth and the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources on preservation projects.