As a city dedicated to perserving its heritage, Portsmouth presents an architectural view unrivaled in elegance and diversity. In a single square mile, the Olde Towne Historic District has a larger collection of architecturally noteworthy 18th and 19th century houses than any other city between Alexandria and Charleston.

More than 250 years of American history is unveiled during the Oldle Towne Walking Tour - from the home that the Union Army's Provost Marshal used during the Civil War (412 London St.) to the house where President Andrew Jackson visited (The Watts House, corner of North and Dinwiddie streets). As identified in the sites you will visit, many influential leaders have shaped the course of human events from our city.

As you walk streets with names like London, Queen, King, and High, you can trace the roots of Oldle Towne back to 1752 when William Crawford took 64 acres of his plantation and laid out the area in streets and half-acre lots. He called the new community Portsmouth, after his hometown of Portsmouth, England. Today, a genuine British telephone booth stands at the North Ferry Landing as a reminder of our sister city relationship with Portsmouth, England. You will also find mounted plaques on imported English street lanterns that signify Olde Towne's many architecturally and historically significant houses. Whether you wander around on your own or follow the tour sequentially, you'll see Portsmouth as a city that has preserved its character through more than two centuries of change.