Refreshingly affordable and different with its authentic “open air” seating and magnificent oak and brass appointments, our Sankofa Trolley Tour will be an unforgettable experience that is both unique and fun!
This informative overview of the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail is just right for a first visit to the city or for those who prefer an alternative to a walking tour. Our well-trained and experienced Sankofa Scholars narrate an hour and a half tour of sites that tell the stories of Black people from the time they arrived on the colonial-era wharves lining the waterfront, to laboring in the local maritime-related industries, until New Hampshire joined the Union by adopting the MLK Holiday in 2000.
These stories shatter the false impression that New Hampshire has no Black history, that slavery didn’t happen here, that there was no Civil Rights Movement here, or that it’s too cold for Black people here. See where real history is still being made and reflect at the cemeteries where many of the named and unknown have been laid to rest, including a stop at the 18th century African Burying Ground and Memorial.
BHTNH offers these special Sankofa Tours in partnership with Seacoast Trolley, a locally owned and operated transportation company. Seacoast Trolleys were built by Molley Trolley of Wells, Maine, near replicas of the first horse powered, then electric cars that serviced the Seacoast from 1897 to about 1927. Our route will pass over some original spurs and rails, still below the pavement.
Seating is limited, so advance reservations are strongly encouraged. $25 pp Each tour boards, departs, and returns to one designated location. Low cost or free parking for your vehicle is nearby.
5/20 Trolley Tour Narrated by Kevin Wade Mitchell
6/24 Trolley Tour Narrated by Angela Mathews
8/19 Trolley Tour Narrated by Valerie Fegin
9/16 Trolley Tour Narrated by Nur Shoop
Sunday, July 22, 2018, Special Trolley Tour to Greenland
Ona Marie Judge Staines, Neither Bond nor Free
Sankofa Tour Guide: Tammi Truax
Hear the compelling true story of Ona Marie Judge, the woman who successfully evaded the President and Martha Washington to live as a free woman. Visit the historical sites where her courageous story unfolds. On this tour you will learn how Ona was able to elude the Washingtons’ efforts to recapture her and meet some of Portsmouth’s most famous families, the Langdons and the Whipples, who would help the local Black Community defy the most powerful man in the country to help her. This tour will also take you to Greenland where Ona would live for 50 more years after her escape.
