Portsmouth, New Hampshire is the largest city in Rockingham County in the State of New Hampshire in the United States of America. Its location is 43°3' North, 70°47' West. The city had a total population of 20,784 as of the 2000 census. The city is served by Pease International Airport.
Portsmouth is located at 43°4'1" North, 70°46'22" West (43.067038, -70.772838). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 43.5 km2 (16.8 mi2). 40.4 km2 (15.6 mi2) of it is land and 3.1 km2 (1.2 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 7.03% water. Portsmouth is drained by Sagamore Creek and the Piscataqua River.
As of the census of 2000, there are 20,784 people, 9,875 households, and 4,858 families residing in the city. The population density is 514.1/km2 (1,331.3/mi2). There are 10,186 housing units at an average density of 251.9/km2 (652.5/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 93.55% White, 2.13% African American, 0.21% Native American, 2.44% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. 1.35% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 9,875 households out of which 20.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% are married couples living together, 8.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 50.8% are non-families. 38.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.04 and the average family size is 2.75.
In the city the population is spread out with 17.2% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 36.2% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 92.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $45,195, and the median income for a family is $59,630. Males have a median income of $41,966 versus $29,024 for females. The per capita income for the city is $27,540. 9.3% of the population and 6.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 14.3% of those under the age of 18 and 8.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
The first known European to explore the the area was Martin Pring in 1603. It would be settled in 1630 as "Piscataqua," then given the name "Strawbery Banke" because of abundant wild strawberries growing beside the Piscataqua River, a tidal estuary. Strategically located for trade between various upstream industries (particularly logging) and mercantile interests abroad, the port prospered. Fishing and shipbuilding were principal businesses.
At the town's incorporation in 1653, the name "Portsmouth" was adopted in honor of the colony's founder, John Mason, captain of the port of Portsmouth, England. In 1679, Portsmouth became the colony's capital. It also became a refuge for exiles from Puritan Massachusetts. In 1774, Paul Revere rode here to warn that the British were coming. Indeed, the seaport's vulnerablity during the American Revolution to the Royal Navy, which on October 18, 1775 bombarded "Falmouth" (now Portland, Maine), helped justify the rebellious government's move inland to Exeter. Some local fortunes would be lost by withered trade during President Thomas Jefferson's 1807 embargo, and others gained by privateering during the War of 1812. In 1849, Portsmouth incorporated as a city.
Once one of the nation's busiest ports and shipbuilding cities, Portsmouth's wealth was expressed in fine architecture. It contains significant examples of Colonial, Georgian, and Federal style houses, a selection of which are now museums. Portsmouth's heart contains stately brick Federalist stores and townhouses, built all of a piece after devastating early 19th century fires. The city is also noted for producing boldly veneered Federalist furniture, particularly that crafted by Langley Boardman.
The Industrial Revolution, however, would leave Portsmouth in the shadow of New Hampshire mill towns like Dover, Keene, Laconia, Manchester and Nashua. The effect of this economic shift was to preserve old Portsmouth. Now, with the protection of an Historic District Commission, much of the city's architectural legacy survives -- to the delight of tourists and artists.
John Paul Jones' ship Ranger was built in Portsmouth, and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, located across the river in Kittery, Maine, was established in 1800 -- the nation's first. Portsmouth is also known as the site where President Theodore Roosevelt arranged the Treaty of Portsmouth, signed at 3:47 p.m. on September 5, 1905 at the shipyard by diplomats from Russia and Japan, ending the Russo-Japanese War. The occasion was marked by an honor guard, firing a 19-gun salute, and ringing area church bells. In 2005, there was a re-enactment of the signing of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty.
Source:
PortsmouthNewHampshire.com
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