Newburyport Preservation Week - Newburyport Powder House & Shipping

Presentation on Newburyport’s Powder House and Shipping

Key information links Powder House to the Waterfront

Tom Kolterjahn and Karen Holt will present details on the historic sea captain captured by the English during the War of 1812 and the importance of his ties to the Powder House being restored on Low Street in Newburyport, MA. Learn about the newly discovered documents that reveal Newburyport’s preparation for war and the role it played in the local shipping economy.

“We have successful research that links the Powder House to the Waterfront,” says Tom Kolterjahn, board member of the Newburyport Preservation Trust. “The Powder House project began in 2003.  We’re pleased to give the city an update on the years of restoration work.”

Newburyport Preservation Trust - a group that focuses on preserving historic structures in the city - has been leading the restoration of the Powder House; a small, circular building was built in 1822 on Godfrey's Hill to store gun powder for the city's militia.

The presentation is a part of the Newburyport Preservation Week events and is free of charge. It is being held at the Newburyport Public Library on State Street on Saturday, May 19, 2012 from 11:00 am to Noon. 

Newburyport celebrates and commemorates historic preservation and Newburyport's Waterfront  during the sixth annual Newburyport Preservation Week, May 16 through May 20, 2012. Activities spanning five days will feature something for all ages and interests, including a walking tour and musket firing, expert panel discussion and rediscovered Newburyport’s wharves, the connection between the Newburyport Powder House, the waterfront and preparation for the War of 1812, historic photo slide shows and films, and the annual Historic Preservation Awards. Activities are open to the public and most are free. For more information, visit www.nbptpreservationtrust.org.