Sometimes it takes a community to decide that history is worth saving. In 1917, an iconic Georgian home at the corner of State and Middle Streets in Portsmouth—built in 1758 for merchant Gregory Purcell—was at risk of demolition. Believed to have hosted American naval hero John Paul Jones while his ships were under construction at the nearby naval yard, the house had long been part of the city’s historic fabric. Concerned citizens rallied to stop a local insurance company from destroying the house and building a brick office building on the property, thanks to a generous gift from a descendant of former owner Woodbury Langdon. That moment sparked the founding of the Portsmouth Historical Society, which opened the home as a museum in 1920. It is of historic note that there is no definitive evidence to support the claim that John Paul Jones stayed there. Today, the Portsmouth Historical Society continues that spirit of civic action by preserving local history, sharing stories through exhibitions, and engaging the community. None of it would be possible without the determination of those early citizens who believed Portsmouth’s past was worth protecting.