10/20/2026
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Everyone knows Paul Revere’s midnight ride in April 1775, made famous by the lanterns in the Old North Church and the warning that led to Lexington and Concord. Fewer know that four months earlier, Revere made another ride, one that ended right here in Portsmouth.
Revere wasn’t yet the household name we know today. That changed when Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published Paul Revere’s Ride in 1861, immortalizing his April journey. His December ride to Portsmouth never got a poem of its own.
On December 13, 1774, Revere arrived in Portsmouth with a warning that the British planned to seize the gunpowder and military supplies stored at Fort William and Mary in New Castle. He met Portsmouth merchant Samuel Cutts in Market Square, then known as the Parade, and the two discussed the threat at Stoodley's Tavern.
The next day, hundreds of patriots led by John Langdon stormed the fort, overwhelmed its small garrison, and carried off about 100 barrels of gunpowder. A second group led by John Sullivan returned that night, and by the next morning they had taken 16 cannon, about 60 muskets, and other military stores. The powder and arms were moved inland on gundalows, the flat-bottomed cargo boats that worked the region's rivers, and hidden in small towns across New Hampshire.
Today the fort is called Fort Constitution, and a plaque there calls the raid the "first victory of the American Revolution." There were earlier acts of defiance, like the burning of the British ship Gaspee in Rhode Island in 1772. The raid on Fort William and Mary was different. It was an organized, armed assault on a royal fort. And the story began, in part, right here in Market Square.
At last night's meeting, the City Council voted unanimously to accept a proposal to commemorate Revere's arrival with a marker in Market Square. The proposal came from the New Hampshire Sons of the American Revolution, historian Sue Polidura, and New Castle author Michael J. Geanoulis Sr.
The group will work with Public Works on a design that complements the existing State House marker and bring a plan back to the Council in January. A dedication is planned for early spring 2027. The marker will be funded through private donations, the state and national Sons of the American Revolution, and community contributions. No city money is being requested.
There was one more fitting touch at last night's meeting. Mr. Geanoulis read a poem he wrote, "Shots Not Heard Round the World," telling the story of those snowy December days. It opens with a nod to Longfellow, and perhaps Portsmouth is finally getting its own Paul Revere poem.
He has given permission for residents of New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts to share the poem for noncommercial purposes. I've included it in the photos.
The original Stoodley's Tavern, just off Market Square on Daniel Street, was eventually moved to Strawbery Banke. The building that replaced it is a little more controversial, and had a mini revolt all its own. But now, with a marker in Market Square, we have an opportunity to make sure the history of what happened here is remembered.
The full proposal is in the October 13 City Council packet on the city website.
