n
Interactive History Day
O
cke
Jo
h
to Tu
to
Sm
M
on
um
on Star Island
en
k
belis
ith
t
Wigwam
Map Tinting
Stone Wall
Sailors
& Fishermen
Thaxter Museum
Navigation
Station
Vaughn Cottage
Archaeological
Display
Fish Flake Drying
Marshman
Welcome to Gosport
Village in Smyth Isles, so
designated by Captain
John Smith who mapped
and named New England
in the summer of 1614.
Imagine that as his ship
approached the Shoals
there were no buildings or
inhabitants either colonists
or American Indians on
any of the isles.
Colonization in the Shoals
took hold by the 1620’s and
on Star Island in 1677.
Ordinary/Tavern
Parker
Parsonage
Newton
Gosport Meeting House
Chapel
follow signs from dock to this point
Schedule
Interactive History Day
10:45 AM - Boat Docks at Star
on Star Island
• Follow signs to re-created
Gosport Village
Welcome to Gosport Village
10:45 AM - Interactive Exhibits
begin in the re-created “New
World” and Gosport Village
11:00 AM - Town Meeting Session 1
11:45 AM - The Smith Map with
Mathew Edney (August Only)
12:30 PM Lunch
1:00 PM Interactive Exhibits
Continue in the re-created “New
World” and Gosport Village
1:30 PM Town Meeting Session 2
On his return to England Captain John Smith published a book and a map and so successfully promoted
the idea of colonizing the region that within a few years there was a fishing outpost here and the beginnings of a permanent village that continued until 1870. John Poor, president of Stickney Poor Spice Co.,
purchased all the houses on the island to build the Oceanic Hotel and establish Star Island as a summer
resort. In 1875, Star Island and all its buildings were purchased by the Laighton-Thaxter family who continued to operate the summer resorts until 1915 when Star Island was sold to the non-profit Star Island
Corporation, and serves now as a seasonal conference and retreat center.
The village recreated here this summer interprets events and activities that cover a 100 year period
from 1614 to about 1720.
• Pay a visit to the hand-constructed wigwam that Capt. Smith would have found on the mainland and
play games with Denise and Paul Pouliot who are descendents of the Cowasuck Band of the Penacook
– Abenaki People.
• Table games the colonists might have played will be found in the Ordinary, where nearby you will find
fish flakes for drying codfish and a tent where you can try map-tinting.
2:15 PM The Smith Map with Mathew
Edney (August Only)
• Take part in the town meeting in the village meeting house at the top of the hill.
3:00 PM Boat Departs for
Portsmouth
• Talk with Nate Hamilton the archeologist who has samples of artifacts unearthed from Smuttynose and
Star Islands.
• Visit Vaughn Cottage to see exhibits on the Isles of Shoals during the grand hotel and conference eras.
• Visit the Navigation Station to learn about the early tools of navigation including an astrolabe, chip log
with hourglass, sextant, compass and spy glass.
• Also in the village are mariners who can tell you about life at sea.