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Take a Walk Through 300 Years of History
As a city is dedicated to preserving it’s heritage, Portsmouth presents an
architectural view unrivaled in elegance and diversity. Colonial.
Federal. Greek Revival. Georgian. And, Victorian structure –
our Olde Towne Historic District – encompasses, in a single square mile, one of
the largest collections of antique homes found between Alexandria, Virginia and
Charleston, South Carolina.
More than 300 years of American History will be unveiled during this hour long
walking tour. From the home where Benedict Arnold was held captive during
The American Revolution, to the Union General Benjamin Butler’s Civil War
headquarters, and the hotel balcony from which President Franklin Pierce spoke.
As identified in the sites you’ll visit, many influential leaders have shaped
the course of human events from our city.
As you walk through our many period street names, such as London, Glasgow, and
Court, to name a few, you can trace the roots of Olde Towne back to 1752 when
William Crawford had the 65 acre plot laid out to imitate Portsmouth, England.
Today, a genuine British telephone booth stands at North Landing as a reminder
of our sister city.
You will also find mounted plaques on imported English street lanterns that
signify our many architecturally or historically significant houses.
So, whether you wander around on your own, or follow the tour sequentially,
you’ll see an Olde Towne Portsmouth as a city that has preserved its character
through three centuries of change.
1. Spanish American War Monument.
As you begin your walk from North Landing, you’ll notice the statue on the
island that divides Crawford Parkway. This monument commemorates the Portsmouth
men who served in Cuba and the Philippines.
2. 202 North Street. The Grice-Neely House
was the first house renovated in Portsmouth’s Olde Towne. Dating back to 1820,
it evokes the atmosphere of New Orleans in the exquisite ironwork of the balcony
and the stairway. Both the balcony and the stairway were removed and put into
storage long ago, but were rediscovered and replaced when the building was
restored. The front porch is Greek Revival and is paved with granite slab
imported from Italy. Notice the “rubble stone” foundation and the “cut stone”
steps.
3. 218 North Street. Restored to its original colors, this
house is a fascinating example of the enthusiasm for Victorian era architecture.
Of particular interest are the stained glass fan light on the third floor,
decorated with plaster wreaths, the stained glass on the second floor, plus an
interesting curved porch and basement entry.
4. The Hill House. Built by Colonel John Thompson in the
early 1800’s. His adopted son, John Thompson Hill, began the long line of Hills
who resided in the house until 1961, when it was willed to the Portsmouth
Historical Assoc. The Hill House is a four-story English basement dwelling
containing the original furnishings collected by many generations of the Hill
family. The Hill House is open for tours Wed., Sat. and Sun. from 1:00 p.m. to
5:00 p.m., April through December. There is a small admission fee.
5. 228 North Street. Dr. William H. Wilson, a well known
druggist, lived in this house which was built in the 1820’s. Take note of the
squared off fan lights on both porches and the large fan light on the west end
of the attic. Some of the original brass door locks imported from England are
still in place.
6. 351 Middle Street. The Washington Reed House was built
around 1800, and is a fine example of Georgian style architecture. The fan light
on the north side of the attic is called a pediment* gable, and the decorative
border beneath the eaves is a first rate example of a dentil* ridge.
7. 355 Middle Street. The exterior of the English
basement style house has hardly been altered since it was built in 1795. The
fire emblem between the basement level windows meant that the owner had
contributed to the Volunteer Fire Department, and was assured of their services
in case of a fire.
8. 218 Glasgow Street. Built around 1795, the exterior of
the English basement style house has hardly been altered since. See the fire
emblem between the basement level windows? In order to acquire this emblem, the
owner had to make a contribution to the local Volunteer Fire Department, and
assures the homeowner of their services in case of a fire.
9. 215 Glasgow Street. The first floor was actually a home
built around 1800, but the second floor is the original city market which was
placed on top of the existing house. Notice that the upper and lower story
windows don’t line up. The market stall numbers can still be seen on the inside
of the roof beams.
10. The Lafayette Arch. Corner of Glasgow and Crawford
Streets. When the United States celebrated its 200th year of independence in
1976, this arch was dedicated to all who have lived or died for freedom.
It was inspired by an arch erected in Portsmouth in 1824 to honor the Marquis de
Lafayette’s visit to the city. The lions head came from the demolished
American National Bank Building on High Street.
11. 415-21 Crawford Parkway. These English basement homes
date back to the 1840’s, and are known as Benthall Brooks Row. All three brick
houses were built by a sea captain named Brooks, who built only one floor a year
to allow for adequate settling. Brooks lived in 421, which includes block-like
projections on the cornice* called dentils*. 419 is the only house that still
has the servant’s quarters in the back of the house.
12. 108 London Street. The
Cassell-McRae House was built around 1829. It features Flemish
bond walls and roof, fan windows and sidelights at the front entrance, and a
hand-carved arched doorway. The pineapples on the gate posts are a colonial
symbol of hospitality.
13. The Pass House anchors the northwest corner of Crawford and
London. Built in 1841, it was used by the Union forces during the Civil
War as the Federal Adjutant General’s Office. It received its name because
passes, which were required to leave Portsmouth, were issued here. The
architecture is an excellent sample of the English basement style that was
prominent in Portsmouth in the 18th and 19th century. Adopted from similar
houses in England, this style with its above ground “basement” was ideally
suited to low-lying areas such as Portsmouth where traditional basements
couldn’t be dug, and served as a kitchen and informal living and dining rooms
for the family.
14. 218-220 London Street. Originally a tavern for
British and local sailors before the American Revolution, built during the mid
1700’s. During the building’s renovation, old menus and a pit for
cock-fighting were discovered in the cellar.
15. 417 Middle Street. The Ball Nivison House. Built
around 1780, this house is an ideal example of “tax-dodger” house. Homes like
this with the gambrel roof* coming down to the first floor and dormer windows
were built in Williamsburg and throughout the Virginia Colony from 1730-1750 to
avoid paying the heavy English taxes on a two-story house. Notice the historical
placard.
16. 320 London Street. John Neely, the owner of
lumberyard, built this house around 1886. He is said to have chosen every piece
of wood that went into it himself. He chose to use virtually every
exterior detail popular at the time including a cupola, * a bay window, a tower,
stained glass, and a window’s walk.*
17. 414 Middle Street. Built around 1830 as a two story
building, “The Colonial” housed the Odd Fellows Hall and the fashionable and the
fashionable Henry Robinson School for Girls. Around the turn of the century, the
second story was raised to become the third story, and a new second story was
sandwiched into the middle of the building. This building has an excellent
example of a classical pediment* (the triangle section above the pillars). The
oldest section has cut granite lintels* and sills. And, its columns are brick
covered stucco.
18. 370 Middle Street. This house was built by Jack Nash
in 1885, and was bought soon afterwards by the Gill Family, who descendants
presently own the house. This home features late Gothic Revival Architecture.
19. 303-309 North Street. This large building was a well known
resort hotel called the Macon Hotel. When it was built, it had a beautiful,
unobstructed view of the Elizabeth River with access to a sandy beach and bath
houses. It was so comfortable and luxurious that the British Consul to
Norfolk chose to live there. It was later used as a Union Hospital where
signatures of wounded soldiers remain in the floorboards. The main
entrance was 350 Middle Street.
20. 312-316 North Street. This group of English basement
houses made up Elizabeth Row, near what was the river’s edge in the 1840’s. 314
North Street was the home of Portsmouth’s first mayor, George W. Grice, when it
became a city in 1858. 316 North Street was the home of the city’s first
silversmith, James Gaskins.
21. 318 North Street. The Grice House. This house was
built in a style completely different than those around it after the Civil War.
Dr. Grice’s wife was the granddaughter of the former president of the College of
William and Mary, and he felt that she should live n an opulent atmosphere.
22. 326 North Street. The Bain House. Occupying a site
platted in 1752 by Portsmouth’s founder, Colonel Crawford, this house was built
in the early 19th Century. It originally featured a full English basement but,
like others, was later lowered half a story. Even though the house has been
altered and enlarged over the years, the original lines and old stone lintels*
and sills remain in tact.
23. 329 North Street. Built in 1892, this is an excellent
example of Romanesque Revival architecture. The tall arched windows and curved
glass were intended to give a shadowed effect inside. The turrets* and
decorative shingles are beautiful examples characteristic of this type of
architecture.
24. 315 Court Street. Reminiscent of homes on the Battery in
Charleston, South Carolina, this Classic Revival house was designed by Pierre
L’Enfant, who also designed the street plan for Washington D.C. This house was
originally to be built by the Federal government as an officer’s quarters, but
was considered far too elaborate. William Peters obtained the plans and built
the house in 1859. The north portico,* with its elaborate cast iron grill work,
once overlooked a garden sloping down to the river. During the Union occupation
of Portsmouth in the Civil War, General Benjamin Butler made his headquarters
here. General Butler was nicknamed “Spoons” Butler because of the strange
disappearance of silverware whenever he inspected local houses.
25. 320 Court Street. The “Hart” House.
Built around 1790, this home is thought to be the oldest house in Portsmouth in
its original state. The transom* over the door is a rectangular shape, and
the hardware on the front door is original.
26. 324 Court Street. This was originally an English
basement house built by Richard C. Grant around 1837, but has been lowered since
then. The fluted columns and arched recessed entrance, plus dormer windows with
fan lights are just a few of the many graceful details it has.
27. 326 Court Street. This traditional “Cottage Style”
house was built around 1800. The windows – which have much of the original glass
– are unusual, having six panes on the bottom, and nine on the top.
28. 340 Court Street. The Trinity Church Rectory.
This is the only house in Olde Towne with Ionic* columns and capitals on the
portico.* It was built in 1825, and sold to Trinity Church in 1902. the
parish was pressed for money during the Depression, and it sold much of the
interior paneling to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation for restoration.
29. Corner of North and Dinwiddie Streets. The Watts House.
A fine example of the Federal style, built in 1799 by Colonel Demsey
Watts, this house was originally constructed on a hill one block east of its
current site – between Dinwiddie and Washington – and was moved to its present
site in 1808. Congressman Henry Clay, Chief Black Hawk, and President Andrew
Jackson have visited this house.
30. 525 North Street. This large house was built in 1775
by William Pritchard, a wealthy shipbuilder and Merchant Marine Captain. The
star-shaped ornaments in the side walls are the ends of metal tie rods, used in
old houses for stabilization. At one time, the house was used as an orphanage
for children whose parents died in the yellow fever epidemic of 1855.
31. Washington & North Street. This monument commemorates
Commodore Richard Dale, the premier Commandant of one of the nation’s first
shipyards, now known as the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth. During the
Revolutionary War, Dale was captured five times by the British, and escaped all
five times. He also served as john Paul Jones’ Second in Command aboard the Bon
Homme Richard.
32. 637 North Street. Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Built around 1791, this is the oldest black church in the city. A recent brick
façade has been added which somewhat hides the starkly simple lines. Despite the
new façade, you can still see the original stained glass windows. The original
hand-carved wooden furniture still remains in the sanctuary.
33. 359 Washington Street. The Brown-McMurran House.
This was originally a farm house on the highest point of Olde Towne, built in
the late 1700’s. The house and the land once belonged to Thomas Veale, the heir
to the city’s founder, Colonel Crawford. The house was originally one room deep
and two stories high. On the north side of the house, you can still see the
original small windows.
34. 408 Washington Street. During the Union Occupation
from 1862-1864, medicine for the Confederate soldiers was hidden below the
hearthstones of the fireplace in this house. This was just a small part of the
underground smuggling operation that flourished among southern sympathizers
during the years after the Civil War.
35. 424 Washington Street. St John Episcopal
Church. Founded in 1848 by seven dissenting members of Trinity
Church, the original church – located on Court Street – was replaced in 1896 by
the present brick and stone building designed by local architect, Charles
Cassell.
36. Corner of Washington & High Street. St.
Paul’s Catholic Church. Built in 1897 to replace an earlier
wooden church, which burned in 1896, St. Paul’s is built of shaved granite and
features many fine stone carvings. It is an elaborate example of Gothic
architecture – that was very popular at the turn of the century – with tracery*
windows of cathedral glass, pointed Gothic arches, flying buttresses, and a
steep roof. The relief of Christ praying in the Garden of Gethsemene above
the doorway is magnificent.
37. 450 Dinwiddie Street. Monumental Untied
Methodist Church. The present sanctuary was built in 1876, but
Monumental’s congregation – the second oldest in Portsmouth – dates back to
1772, where residents heard the first Methodist sermon preached south of the
Potomac. In fact, the first American Methodist bishop, Francis Asbury, once
ministered here.
38. 420 – 412 London Street. This block of houses recalls the
streetscapes of days gone by. The houses at 20, 418, 416 and 414 were all built
in the mid to late 1800’s. Typical of this group is the Cottage Style house at
416, which has an attractive cornice* under the eaves. The frame style house at
412 was used by the Union Army’s Provost Marshal throughout the Union occupation
of the City during the Civil War. The original portion of the home – over 200
years old – resembles many early Williamsburg houses.
39. 423 London Street. Originally built in 1846, this house
acted as a model for the houses at 421-419, that were built about 40 years
later. During the Civil War, it was used as a hospital and later, an
apothecary shop. It has also been used as an American Legion headquarters, and a
school of music.
40. Corner of London Street & Court Street. This
excellent example of Victorian architecture, complete with exquisite brick and
ironwork was built in 1874. The residence features a Sacred heart above the
doorway, a symbol of Catholic Faith. Directly above the foyer was a chapel where
the original owner, Joseph Parker and his 12 children worshiped. The
ceilings are 14 feet high indoors.
41. Corner of Court & Queen Street. Court Street
Baptist Church. The massive walls, arches and vault is typical of
Romanesque Revival architecture. Built in the early 1900’s, it is the third
church built on this site. One of the early ministers of the church, Reverend
Mark R. Watkinson suggested to President Abraham Lincoln that the words “In God
We Trust” be placed on all U.S. currency. This church is the mother church for
all other Baptist churches in Hampton Roads.
42. Confederate War Memorial. As you head back north on
Court Street, you’ll see a memorial to Portsmouth’s Confederate dead.
Construction began in 1876, and was completed in 1881. The four statues arranged
around the monument represent each branch of the Confederate military – Calvary,
Artillery, Infantry, and the Navy. The statue of the Confederate sailor –
which faxes east – to the river is one out of only three in the country.
43. Court & High Street. The crossroads William Crawford
designated as the Towne Square in 1752 still remains a hub today.
Trinity Episcopal Church, built in 1762, earns the distinction of being
the oldest standing church in Portsmouth. On the northeast corner of the
intersection, sits the 1846 Courthouse – which replaced the earlier 1803
institution – and now houses a museum. The Arts Center showcases many national
and international exhibits. Another museum, The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame –
just west of the courthouse – contains mementos and equipment from some of the
state’s most celebrated sports legends. At the Community Arts Center next door,
accomplished artists display their talents and instruct students in visual and
performing arts. (All museums are open Tuesday – Sunday)
44. 515 Court Street. First Presbyterian Church.
Founded in 1822, the original building – located on Middle Street – burned in
1872. it was rebuilt, and then burned once again in 1877. The present building
only took eight months to build. The structure is stone masonry, and the
original slate shingles were imported from Scotland. The shingles were replaced
with Vermont slate in 1997.
45. The Historic Cedar Grove Cemetery. Listed on the
Virginia Registry of Historic Sites, this cemetery dates back to the early
1800’s, and is definitely worth the walk. With more than 400 graves, it is a
memorable tour historical tour unto itself. Portsmouth’s founding fathers,
confederate war heroes, as well as many other famous, and infamous individuals
are interred in Cedar Grove.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
BALUSTRADE – A handrail and the balusters (the posts supporting
the handrail).
CORNICE – A horizontal projection that crowns the wall of a
building.
CUPOLA – A small structure, usually a dome on top of a roof or
building.
DENTILS – A series of small projecting rectangular blocks
forming a molding.
DORIC – Architecture characterized by heavy columns with plain,
saucer-shaped capitals.
GAMBREL ROOF – A roof with two slopes on each side, the lower
slope is steeper than the upper slope.
IONIC – Architecture characterized by the special scroll shaped
ornament forming the chief feature.
LINTEL – The horizontal support member spanning the space above
an opening such as a door or window.
PARAPET – A low railing or wall.
PEDIMENT – The triangular space forming the gable of a pitched
roof.
PILASTER – A rectangular column projecting a third of its width
or less from the wall.
PODIUM – A low wall serving as a foundation.
PORTICO – A walkway or porch with a roof supported by a row of
columns.
TRACERY – Ornamental work or interlaced lines characteristic of
Gothic architecture.
TRANSOM – A small window above a door or another window.
TURRET – A small ornamental tower.
WIDOW’S WALK – A railed observation platform.
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