Educate. Inspire. Engage.

What's this all about then?

Portsmouth NH 400 was founded to spark the city's collective imagination, leverage the talent of its multifaceted population and many organizations, and lead up to and beyond Portsmouth's 400th anniversary in 2023. Portsmouth NH 400's role involves convening, promoting, and coordinating celebration plans.
The Portsmouth NH 400th is now completing the process to incorporate as a non-profit 501(c)3. While that process moves forward, the City has established a Portsmouth NH 400th Fund with a secure donation portal on the City website. Donations may be made on the site by electronic check (no fee) or by credit card (the 2.9% fee goes to the service provider and is not retained by the City). Check donations may also be mailed to:

Portsmouth NH 400th Anniversary c/o City Hall
One Junkins Ave.
Portsmouth NH 03801
Donations received will support select signature events and legacy projects and will promote the full range of celebrations, programs and other events under the Portsmouth NH 400th banner.

Are you getting excited?
All donations to the Fund are tax deductible to the extent the law allows.

Vision

 The Portsmouth community will come together to:
  • Honor the diversity, inclusion, innovation, sustainable growth, and preservation of historic buildings, neighborhoods, traditions, and stories.
  • Celebrate Portsmouth’s identity created by Portsmouth’s Native American, African American, colonists, fishing, maritime, military, immigrant, spiritual, cultural, commerce, and trades communities.
  • Inspire all ages and interests to participate, cultivate and share ideas to educate residents and visitors on Portsmouth’s contribution to the region, state, country, and the world.
  • Foster a rich environment of camaraderie for education, creativity, and collaboration among different organizations, neighborhoods, and the community.
  • ​Model sustainable principles that integrate art, culture, tradition, historic preservation, maritime culture, humanities, civic engagement, and environmental responsibility.

Mission

  • Celebrate Portsmouth’s rich history, its challenges, successes, and innovations.
  • Celebrate the present – the people, events, art, culture, buildings.
  • Create, with multiple organizations and community members, vibrant, immersive, and engaging programming that tells the stories from the past to the present and which are relevant and meaningful to people today.
  • Engage, educate, inspire today’s citizens of all ages to become new community leaders.
  • Engage and promote local artists, historians, and diverse communities.
  • Preserve and encourage our culture of community pride that is collaborative and future oriented to develop meaningful, visible, and permanent legacy programs.

Values

  • Diversity, Inclusion, Respect, Accessibility
  • Seek historical accuracy
  • Community pride through education and engagement
  • Sustainability
  • FUN!

Goals

  • Create events, programs, projects, and activities that are educational, fun, and promote cultural celebration and recognition 
  • Tell, collect, and preserve our stories and traditions; sustain historic infrastructure
  • Promote civic engagement, education, pride, and stewardship
  • Develop new traditions, create new amenities that enhance quality of life
  • Foster domestic and international recognition

    I'd like to learn more!

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Can I contact you?

Sure! Stay tuned as we build out our Social Media presence, and in the meantime, please email your questions and ideas to us at:
hello@portsmouthnh400.org

Partners and Sponsors

City Of Portsmouth
Portsmouth Public Library
Bank of America
Chinburg Builders
Darci Creative, LLC
Keene & Macdonald, P.C.
Olde Port Properties, Portsmouth
Popovers
River House
Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank
Altus Engineering, Portsmouth
Auger Building Company, Greenland

Individual Supporters

Sean and Kristen Mahoney
Ed and Fran Mallon
Susan and Michael Labrie (in kind and materials)
Nancy and Zach Slater
Denise Poulos
Steve Scott
Harold Whitehouse
Dr. Tom Clairmont

And a couple of folks who wish to remain nameless.
We don't ask.

Community Collaborators

Strawbery Banke Museum
Portsmouth Athenaeum
Portsmouth Historical Society
Piscataqua Maritime Commission
The Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth
The Music Hall
and
PortsmouthNH.com
Portsmouth Halloween Parade
3S Artspace
Pontine Theatre
Portsmouth High School
Portsmouth MakerSpace