"The City of the Open Door" was the title of a 1928 Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce brochure.

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The brochure began with the observation, "Perhaps the greatest charm of Portsmouth lies in the fact that the oldest and the newest are combined in most alluring proportions ... a structure of modern progress has been builded upon the solid foundations of worthwhile history and honorable tradition.... Everywhere in Portsmouth you will find courtesy and a helping hand to the visitor within the gates... In Portsmouth you are helped politely, not ordered roughly."

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Portsmouth has seen its unofficial slogan tested on many occasions.

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On March 15, 1862, self-emancipated former slave Frederick Douglass spoke for abolition, at The Temple in Portsmouth. The moment is memorialized with a Black Heritage Trail plaque on the site, now The Music Hall.

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In 1713, the Treaty of Portsmouth between the English and the Wabanaki of the Seacoast saw First Nations diplomacy help open the Portsmouth door.

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In 1898, more than 1,600 Spanish-American War prisoners were housed at the Portsmouth Navy Yard. Portsmouth gained a reputation for the hospitality shown the captives, especially the officers. Paroled on day passes, they were entertained at Wentworth By the Sea and elsewhere.

 

Strawbery Banke became a "neighborhood of newcomers," welcoming many different nationalities during the great immigration era of 1890-1920. The City Historic Marker on Spring Street notes the importance of the docks and waterfront to the city's history.

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In 1905. Russian diplomats participating in the peace conference to end the Russo-Japanese War questioned members of the local Russian-Jewish community about their lives in America. "Russia is home," one said, "But here our children can go to school."

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And Frank Jones, from his mansion on Maplewood Avenue, built both a brewing empire and hotels that made "Portsmouth" synonymous with hospitality across the country.

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