PORTSMOUTH - At a time when new development has the cityscape in a constant state of flux, some things "" like the Griffin "farm" at 479 Richards Ave. "" never change.

Since M.J. Griffin built his home at the corner of Richards Avenue and South Street 120 years ago, there has been a wide variety of barnyard animals on the half-acre parcel.

The house and barn were originally built so M.J. Griffin could maintain the city cemeteries, but now serve as a pseudo-petting zoo along a busy South End street.

"We've always had animals," said Ruth Griffin, a former longtime executive councilor and state legislator. "Cows, pigs, chickens, horses, ponies "" you name it."

Geese are among the attractions in Ruth Griffin’s Richards Avenue yard in Portsmouth. Photo by Don Clark

Generation after generation of city families have visited to feed the animals. There are two Cotswold sheep and four geese that gladly accept treats like popcorn, lettuce or bread crumbs. They spend most of their winter inside the small barn, but were recently brought back outside for spring.

Ruth and her late husband, John, maintained the farm for more than 40 years because it has instilled a little sense of country living in the bustling city and has brought joy to so many children. Animals, she said, have a calming effect on people.

"It's enriched our lives so much because we've always seen these little kids," said Griffin. "I've probably seen close to every baby in the city of Portsmouth."

Every summer, neighborhood children sit in front of the aging white barn and watch the sheep get sheared by a volunteer.

For many children, it's their first interaction with barnyard animals and life on a farm. One man has visited every day for five years to feed the animals, who now run to the gate at the sound of his truck.

City living for the animals isn't without some challenges. There have been a few occasions over the years during which an animal got loose thanks to a faulty gate or a forgetful child, but neighbors always knew who to call when they saw a 200-pound ram strolling down the street.

"But they always come back," said Griffin. "They know where the food is."