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| WICKED BLUEBERRY |  |
|
STORY BY JOHN H. WEST - PHOTOGRAPHS BY NANCY WEST |
The
state of New Hampshire has very little seacoast but they certainly make
the most of that which they have. The town of Portsmouth
is a
beautiful mix of historic homes, old alleys and streets that are home
to many interesting antique shops, stores, and yes even street
entertainers who can sing, play the fiddle, hula-hoop, and roller blade
all at the same time. The performance may be a little odd, definitely
funky, but certainly, quite captivating. In fact, this
description may
apply to the entire town of Portsmouth with a major dose of history
added to the mix.
The town is also home to the
Naval Shipyard which has been a fixture in the area since 1800, when it
was formally established by the United States government. In
fact, John Paul Jones, the famous naval hero briefly made his home in Portsmouth in 1781 and 1782
while he supervised the building of the “America,” a vessel he was
scheduled to command but Congress ultimately gave the 74 gun ship to
France. Interestingly, Portsmouth
locals call the residence the “John Paul Jones House” but in actuality
the Captain only rented a room in the house owned by the widow of
another naval captain.
|
 STREET PERFORMERS IN PORTSMOUTH  TAPS AT McMENEMY'S |
McMENEMY'S OWNER TRACY SERVES UP "ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND WELCOMES" AND SWEETENS EVERY LIBATION WITH HER DAZZLING SMILE
| Also,
on the naval yard grounds is the infamous and more than a little
imposing Naval Prison. Some may
recall that this “brig” was prominently featured in the 1973 movie “The
Last Detail” starring a young Jack Nicholson. During the course
of the prison's long history before its closure in 1974, the building
is
estimated to have housed over 86,000 military prisoners. This
foreboding edifice located at water’s edge on Seavey Island became
known as “Alcatraz of the East.” Despite the prison’s reputation for
strict discipline and being home to some very difficult men, according
to at least one historic account inmates were able to purchase beer at
the commissary. The shipyard and prison combined to create a booming port town. During the 1940s, in the World War II era over seventy submarines were built at “The Yard”, and some 10,000 to 15,000 seamen passed through Portsmouth every week! Not surprisingly, the town built a well deserved reputation as a hard drinking, brawling and promiscuous port. Post Civil War Portsmouth’s economy was largely based on the brewing of ale. In its heyday, the town had over 120 bars and taverns serving the navy men and the town that kept the shipyard and prison operating at full steam. Even today one will never go thirsty in this port of call; seemingly there is a tavern around every corner. In late June, on a very grey, rainy day we found ourselves on Penhallow Street in Portsmouth looking for a place to dry out and experience some of the local atmosphere. There are many places to go in this port town but we picked an Irish bar on the corner of Pen Hallow Street and State Street going by the name McMENEMY'S. The bar is located on the second floor of an old brick building that has the feel of a place with a deep and rich history. Upon entering the bar area, we quickly spotted the hand-written chalkboard reading: “Every 17th of Every Month” the bar conducted a “St. Practice Day.” This was obviously a place where we wanted to be.  Intrigued, we struck up a conversation regarding the history of the establishment. In prior years, the bar was a legendary haunt known as “Molly Malone’s.” Its corner location on State Street, in a worn but stately brownstone, near the harbor and naval facilities made it accessible to the men coming and going. Not coincidentally, it would seem, Malone’s became a focal point for a rather notorious and busy red light district. In fact, as the story goes, the ladies of the night would sit on window sills in the bar's front bay windows, adorned in their seductive couture, advertising their availability to the male passers-by below. According to Abby, there are quite a number of distinct ghostly personalities that are still working this corner, and the “Blueberry Lady” may have been one of the women who conducted her business in the location that is now McMENEMY'S. Apparently she likes this bar as much as I do, because she does not want to leave either. And although most patrons won’t have the good fortune to gather a whiff of her very discreet bouquet, the combination of good people, good times and good drink found in this historic Portsmouth tavern will more than delight the senses. |
Photograph by Thea Mann PORTSMOUTH'S IMPOSING NAVAL PRISON  CASUAL AND COMFORTABLE DINING  A PINT OF THE DARK ELIXIR JUST MIGHT SOFTEN THE BLOWS  "SURE, WE'LL STEAL YOUR HEART AWAY, WE WILL" |
 mcmenemy's |
McMENEMY'S
RESTAURANT
AND
PUB 177 STATE STREET PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE 03801 (603) 436-4747 www.mcmenemyspub.com DIRECTIONS |
| AMERICAN PUBLIC HOUSE REVIEW text, images, and music © 2007-2009. All rights reserved. |
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