A PRAGMATIC
APPROACH TO
PRESERVATION

ortsmouth Advocates is a non-profit organization established in 1980 to promote the preservation of the historic and architectural character of Portsmouth. Our members are all volunteers - citizens who care about the special heritage and flavor that make Portsmouth so distinctive.

Portsmouth Advocates provides area residents with a collective voice and a viable means to influence changes affecting the character of our city.

Preservation for its own sake is not our goal. We believe that the demolition of older, viable buildings and neighborhoods diminishes our heritage and threatens Portsmouth's historic assets. The re-use and rehabilitation of existing buildings represents conservation at its best. It makes sense in both economic and cultural terms.

WORKING WITH
PEOPLE...NOT JUST
BUILDINGS

e've provided educational programs to Portsmouth residents. We've met frequently with city officials and professional planners on behalf of preservation. We've rallied community support for responsible programs, and organized citizen opposition to projects that have threatened to destroy the aesthetic fabric of Portsmouth.

We were successful in obtaining an ordinance requiring public notice before building demolitions. We are willing to take stands on controversial issues, and to pursue legal remedies where necessary.