When I was a pup growing up on the corner of Deer and Bridge Streets in Downtown Portsmouth, a couple of my neighborhood friends and I few in love with the North Cemetery.
We would play cowboys there, and hide and seek -- running around and behind the tombstones and reading strange names and the long-ago dates and imagining the people of the past.
This Saturday at 11 a.m. is the re-scheduled tour of the North Cemetery off Maplewood Avenue that had originally been set for last Saturday. Because of the nature of the cemetery, the grass, hills, and rocks, we decided not to hold the tour because of rain and wet grounds.
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The new walk-through time is still dependent on dry conditions, but the weather reports look nice. We'll begin near the marker at the left end of the cemetery.
Portsmouth resident Sue Polidura, who is very knowledgeable about the cemetery, will lead the tour. It is open to all who want to join. We'll also be considering how we can help protect and preserve this amazing Portsmouth treasure.
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Only a handful of communities in America have such incredible history in their Downtown. Begun in the mid-1700s, North Cemetery is in the National Register of Historic Places.
It is the resting spot of leaders of the Revolutionary War, including 19 residents who fought in that war, as well as other early Portsmouth citizens. William Whipple, who signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence, is buried there.
Even though we cancelled the walk last Saturday because of rain, I showed up to see if anyone came around. Seven did. Under umbrellas, some of us discussed Downtown and North End development.
The unique location of the North Cemetery -- on the edge of a developing part of our community -- reminds us that we need to be conscious of how we design growth surrounding this beautiful piece of American history.
We are indeed custodians of the legacy of the past given to us as caretakers. Let's be careful, and recognize and appreciate this great gift.
In case of wet grounds, we'll again re-schedule -- but this time we might be able to take the tour!
