Concrete Canvas

Portsmouth’s Portraits Protect and Preserve the Past

Story by Mackenzie Mayer | Photos by Meghan Rowe

“I wanted them [Portsmouth Murals, Inc.] to decide what the subjects needed to be, and then it was up to me to decide how to design and paint that subject—which is what I enjoy doing.”

~Robert Dafford

The Ohio River, the country’s third largest river by volume, connects towns and cities spanning from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati to Louisville. Ordinarily, living within site of the tributary is a visual treat.

But late January 1937 was no ordinary time, especially for southern river towns like Portsmouth. That month, it rained 22 days straight, and although Portsmouth had floodwalls in place, it was no match for the river’s final crest of 74.23 feet, and more than 35,000 residents evacuated the downtown area, leaving many without homes.

Following the “Great Flood of 1937,” the city rebuilt the Portsmouth floodwall, this time tall enough to resist a crest of 79 feet. The wall, constructed of concrete and enforced steel, is about 20 feet tall in downtown Portsmouth, and its length is almost seven miles.

The idea for painting murals on the floodwall was introduced by Portsmouth residents Louis and Ava Chaboudy, who cited Steubenville’s outdoor murals as inspiration. From 1992 until 2002, the Portsmouth riverfront slowly became scenic again, thanks to the work of Portsmouth Murals, Inc. and muralist and Louisiana native Robert Dafford.

Dafford was hired by the company specifically to make the floodwalls less of an eyesore to the city and its visitors. Dafford then hired artist Herb Roe to assist him with creating the murals.

Dafford and Portsmouth Murals, Inc. decided to make the floodwalls into a timeline of the city’s history, starting with a mural of the Mound Builders and ending with a depiction of the U.S. Grant Bridge. Since 2002, five more paintings have been added, and Dafford continues to add more every summer. This summer, he plans to finish his mural of the early days of the riverfront scene and then begin work on a new mural of York Park at the turn of the century.

“I wanted them [Portsmouth Murals, Inc.] to decide what the subjects needed to be and then it was up to me to decide how to design and paint that subject, which is what I enjoy doing,” Dafford says. That creative relationship is truly something we can all get behind.

TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR: Portsmouth Murals, Inc. created a free app that allows users to take a virtual tour of the murals. It locates the user’s GPS and identifies the nearby murals – complete with information about the painting. Search “Portsmouth Murals” in Google Play or the iTunes App Store.