Manufacturer: Iroquois China
User: Rockingham Hotel
Distributor: Morandi Proctor Co., Boston, Mass.
Date of platter: 1926
Notes: The five-story, 100-room Rockingham Hotel was located at 401 State Street in Portsmouth, N.H.
The Rockingham House originally was built as a mansion brick home in 1785 for Judge Woodbury Langdon. Thomas Coburn first opened the Rockingham House as a hotel to the public on Nov. 1, 1833.
Frank Jones – Mayor of Portsmouth, US Representative and noted alemaker -became the owner of the Rockingham in 1870 and greatly enlarged it. In 1884, there was a disastrous fire that destroyed all but the octagonal dining room.
Mr. Jones rebuilt the hotel around the octagonal dining room, using Jabez Sears redesign, sparing no expense; in fact, the project cost him more than the cost of the entire Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The lions atop each set of steps were adopted by Jones as his personal symbol.
In 1973, The Rockingham was purchased by a development corporation for restoration as condominiums. The Library Restaurant reopened in the octagonal dining room in 1975.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Sources:
libraryrestaurant.com/history
portsmouthnh.com
Wikipedia: Frank Jones
Wikipedia: Rockingham Hotel
Hotel Red Books
White body platter with two green and one red line ending with curlicues on the rim. Rampant lions on each side of crest, with letter 'R' inside. Elaborate crown atop and banner with ROCKINGHAM HOTEL below. Logo is all green.
For related info:
Rockingham Hotel 2 by Syracuse China
Rockingham Hotel 3 by Maddock Pottery
ID and plate photos contributed by dbstoneware
Rockingham building photo contributed by Mr. T in DC