Open April through September
The Old Ferry Landing takes its name from the part
it played in Portsmouth's history.
Before the turn of the Century, when there was no structural link between
the coastal areas of New Hampshire and Maine, the building was erected
as a ferryboat terminal. A regular means of public transportation was
thus provided across the swift currents of the Piscataqua River to Badger's
Island in Kittery, Maine.
The operation, known as the Portsmouth, Kittery and York Street Railway,
continued until the construction of the first of three bridges now spanning
the river. But the old ferryboat station did not lose its usefulness after
that. The building remained a viable element in the city's commercial
life throughout most of its years. It served as a bottling works, a lobster
pound and a gift shop, among other uses.
The property was acquired in 1973 by the Blalock family, including the
well-known professional golfer, Jane Blalock. They opened it as a restaurant
the following year under the present name.
