Last week I was invited to a luncheon Jewett Farms Cabinetmakers, at a their showroom in Newburyport, MA. Newburyport is on the north shore of Massachusetts, just south of New Hampshire, about 90 minutes (without traffic) from where I live on the South Shore. Normally, I wouldn’t bother driving that far to visit a showroom, however, I used to live in Newburyport and absolutely adore the whole area. So, it didn’t take much to twist my arm.
I started my day by driving straight up to Portsmouth, NH, which is a fantastic, quaint sea coast city. There are great little shops, restaurants, theaters, antique homes coming out the wazoo – what’s not to love? Portsmouth was settled in 1630 and incorporated in 1653. Always a successful shipping capital, the city is filled with gorgeous and colorful homes from all periods of American architectural history. One of the things I love about Portsmouth is the gorgeous colors on the homes. Not a city to stick to stereotypical white clapboards, beautiful colors like ochre and Nantucket pink (photo above) are common.
Gorgeous shingle styles…
And yes, we do have some classic white clapboard homes such as this perfect example of the Federal style.
A row of Colonial homes.
Loved this Georgian house peeking from behind the tree.
Notice anything interesting about this house? The angle of the front is straight on, but we can still see the right side. A trapezoid house!
I didn’t have a lot of time in Portsmouth because I wanted to take the seacoast route (Route 1) back down to Newburyport.
On the way I passed the Portsmouth Naval prison, located at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which was built between 1905 and 1908 and occupied between 1908 and 1974. Known as “The Castle”, or “Alcatraz of the East”, it is still maintained by the Shipyard. It did looks like there was some kind of construction going on, so hopefully they are going to do something interesting there at some point.
Just outside of Portsmouth is the small exclusive town of New Castle, which is actually an island. There are incredible views of the ocean all along the drive.
Some houses with great views of the ocean in Rye, NH.
Of course, more ocean views…
Coming up, a little tour of Newburyport’s architectural and natural beauty, plus a tour of Jewett Farms Cabinetmakers. Here’s a sneak peak of my condo building when I lived in Newburyport. A 200+ year old Federal home converted into 5 smallish condos. I loved it!
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Such beautiful photographs. Glad to see that you had a nice trip.
Teresa (Splendid Sass)
What a fun road trip! And such a treat for those of us who are land locked and sweltering! I think I feel a sea breeze…
Linda, what a charming road trip. I like the house you picked for your thunbnail the best. It is very regal.
olive
I love how the homes stand the test of time and tell such wonderful stories.
Loved this. Can you recommend any place to stay along the ocean in New Hampshire? You have intrigued me enough to want to visit there myself.
Hi Linda, these homes are so classic and beautiful, lovely setting!
I have a new giveaway!
Karena
Art by Karena
What a wonderful road trip! I will gladly take the third house featured. I could have my bags packed this afternoon. 🙂
best,
Amy Meier
Great travelogue! Classic photographs! Sounds like you had a wonderful day!
beautiful images & what a lovely day. i've been so out of touch & missing my world of blog friends. hope you are well.
Great road trip doc Linda. I love New England architecture and it's always great to see the variations. Thanks, too, for stopping by to see us. Jane F.
Thank you for sharing these photos – I love Portsmouth and Newburyport…so pretty and I can visit anytime since I am in the area…! the coast is a bonus here in New England!! 🙂
I love the charming town of Portsmouth.. have not been to Newburyport yet, but am motivated to go after viewing your Great pictures
Hello,
Great designs. Who wouldn't fancy owning a fancy house that looks inviting and homey as well as charming and spirited in every way? Sure, we all dream of owning that dream house where all luxuries you ever need are just a few feet away. You may have a lot of ideas and many of these ideas may be lying in your head as bits and pieces.
jully
What a very beautiful area of the country. I love all of the houses, they are so unique and stately. Thanks for the chance to see it, I have never been on the Eastern seaboard, I was born and raised in the West, but have always wanted to see the Eastern States and Provinces, as well.