BP Shillaber House
Portsmouth, NH


Photo courtesy of John Wykoff & Portsmouth Athenaeum.

Benjamin Penhallow Shillaber (1814 - 1892) was one of America's most loved humorists, but alas, is all but forgotten. Born in Portsmouth nearthe North Mill Pond, Shillaber was among the first newspaper editors to publish a young Samuel Clemens. When "Mark Twain" became a big star, he acknowledged his debt to BP Shillaber. The author was best known for writing under the name of Mrs. Partington, a slightly dotty elderly woman who spouted wisdom and Malapropisms. Mrs. P appeared in a number of books by Shillaber, who was also an accomplished poet and editor of the news weekly "The Carpet Bag" out of Boston. Although he moved from NH at age 18, he often wrote of his fondness for the Piscataqua region and joined Daniel Webster and others in welcoming native NH resident back during the "Return of the Sons and Daughters festivities in the mid- 1800s. His house was lost to progress in the evolving Portsmouth, but appeared in postcards into the early 20th century.

HOURS: Closed forever
WEBSITE: http://seacoastnh.com/arts/please011704.html
ADMISSION: Lost to progress
ADDRESS: Langdon Street Portsmouth, NH 03802
DIRECTIONS: The house was located in the "Rock Pasture" near the railroad track son the North Mill Pond off McDonough Street today. We've yet to locate the exact location.
LINKS: Poems by BP, More on Shillaber,