10 Historic Places to Visit in Greater Portland This Summer

It’s not too late to get out and enjoy summer in Maine! What are your plans for the last few weeks of Summer? Why not visit some of Greater Portland’s historic sites this year? Here are some suggestions:

1. Come visit us at the Portland Observatory! In 1807 Captain Lemuel Moody (1768-1846), ordered construction of this octagonal, 86-foot high tower on Munjoy Hill to serve as a communication station for Portland’s bustling harbor. It was a commercial venture designed to give a competitive edge to ship owners who paid Moody a subscription fee of $5.00 a year to alert them when their ships were arriving.

2. Everyone knows to visit Portland Headlight, probably the most well-known light house in Maine. But have you visited the children's garden or walked along the cliffs to visit the Ecology Project at Fort Williams? Fort Williams Park is open year-round from sunrise to sunset and maintained by the citizens of Cape Elizabeth for all to enjoy. While it’s gorgeous on a sunny day, it’s even a great place to visit on a cloudy or foggy summer day too.

3. On a hot summer evening take a stroll through Fort Preble (1808) to enjoy cool ocean breezes. Occupied during the War of 1812 and the Civil War, the fort was sold in 1952 to the State of Maine and is now the campus of Southern Maine Community College. Some of Fort Preble's original early 20th Century brick buildings (including officers' quarters, barracks and a fire station), along with perimeter casemates, remain and are in a good state of preservation. Don’t forget to walk out to Spring Point Ledge Light built near the fort in 1897.

4. You can use our self-guided interactive maps to explore Greater Portland anytime! Our online maps can be used to take a virtual tour from your computer, or you can use them on your phone as you walk around a local neighborhood.

5. Explore Fort Gorges! Named after Sir Ferdinando Gorges, Fort Gorges was built 1861-1868 by Ruben Smart and is modeled after Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. Fort Gorges was planned and constructed as one of three forts in Portland Harbor in reaction to the threat of foreign naval powers, initially provoked by the War of 1812. The Friends of Fort Gorges group is actively building awareness and raising funds to preserve the fort.

6. Take a tour of Eastern Cemetery! Spirits Alive has also developed a virtual tour of the cemetery that you can view while lounging in your hammock or take with you when you visit the cemetery on your own whenever the gates are open between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

7. Sail on a historic schooner! Sailing on a windjammer is the perfect way to experience the beauty of the Maine coast, complete with lighthouses, seals, and seabirds. Windjammers Bagheera, Wendameen, or Timberwind were built in Maine and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

8. Pack a picnic basket - or better yet order lunch or dinner to go from a local business - and enjoy your meal in one of Portland’s historic parks. Catch a sunset from newly designated historic Fort Sumner park, watch the ducks play in Deering Oaks pond, or enjoy the stunning view from the Eastern Promenade.

9. Mackworth Island is the former home of James Phinney Baxter and of his son, Governor Percival Baxter, and was deeded to the State of Maine in 1943. Currently it is the site of the Baxter School for the Deaf. The island is a legislated bird sanctuary and is connected to Falmouth by a causeway at the mouth of the Presumpscot River. The island is open to visitors from dawn to dusk.

10. The Cumberland and Oxford Canal was opened in 1832 to connect the largest lakes of southern Maine with the seaport of Portland, Maine. The canal followed the Presumpscot River from Sebago Lake through the towns of Standish, Windham, Gorham, and Westbrook. The Canal diverged from the river at Westbrook to reach the navigable Fore River estuary and Portland Harbor.

    The Fore River Sanctuary is the site of the former Cumberland and Oxford Canal. You can walk along the remains of the towpath and see the repair basin, a man-made pond dug for the canal. The nature sanctuary is also the home of Jewell Falls, Portland’s only natural waterfall.

    You can also see elements of the canal and towpath in Gambo Preserve. Access the preserve from trail heads in Windham near Gambo Dam or from Gorham’s Shaw Park.

Designing for Health in the 19th Century

By Kate Burch

This year’s coronavirus pandemic has transformed our lives and caused us all to reexamine our environments from a hygienic perspective. As we spend more time in our homes and immediate neighborhoods, and try to make our indoor spaces safer, some of the solutions utilized by 19th century architects, landscape architects, engineers and planners that can be seen in Portland are still relevant today.

“Deering’s Woods” in 1878. Photograph by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Portland’s large public parks – Deering Oaks, Lincoln Park, the Western and Eastern Promenades – were all built in the 19th century and continue to serve as significant green space in the city. In a time when we are encouraged to stay close to home due to coronavirus, the same value they had in the 19th century has become apparent. 

The public park movement began in the 1830s to improve the living conditions for workers in crowded industrial towns and cities. Through the 19th century, parks were seen as increasingly important for both hygienic and humanitarian reasons. Parks were referred to as the “lungs of the city” to help against poor air quality and the spread of infectious disease. They were also places where people who lived in crowded conditions and did not have access to travel away from the city could have access to outdoor space for leisure and recreation.

The crowded living conditions of the working class in cities also led to efforts to improve hygiene in housing, which, in the 19th century, focused on improved airflow and increased light. Lower income people in cities often lived in uncomfortable and unsafe conditions such as cellars or large tenements with windowless rooms and shared facilities that led to the fast spread of infectious diseases.

Side Sectional View of Tenement House, 38 Cherry Street, New York City, 1865

In the late 19th and early 20th century, reformers led the push for better housing and tenement reform. In New England, the triple-decker house originated as a more livable alternative to tenements or row houses. Triple-deckers offered light and airflow on all sides of a building while still economic to build, and often feature porches for each apartment. In larger apartment buildings, changes in design developed to improve ventilation and hygiene, such as air shafts and increased windows. One popular design was the “h” plan, which can be seen in the Stateway Apartments at 59 State Street in Portland, built by the architectural firm Miller & Mayo in 1913. The shape of the building allows for more outward-facing windows, cross-ventilation, and fresh air for all residents.

59 State Street in 1924

82 Vesper Street in 1924

Portland’s 19th century hospitals also reflect this emphasis on sunlight, good airflow, and ventilation. The Maine General Hospital building at 22 Bramhall Street (1874, now Maine Medical Center) was designed by architect Francis Fassett to have 4 pavilions around a central wing. This design, coupled with the building’s location atop Bramhall Hill, allowed for free circulation of fresh air to prevent disease, as well as scenic views of the White Mountains and the ocean to improve patients’ spirits.

Sketch of Francis Fassett’s original proposal for Maine General Hospital, c1872

Portland Marine Hospital (now Martin’s Point), 2012. Photo by Corey Templeton.

The Portland Marine Hospital (1855, now Martin’s Point Healthcare) was designed by architect Ammi B. Young in an “h” plan to allow for maximum sunlight and ventilation. Its location – similar to Maine General, on a hill atop a peninsula by the ocean – improves airflow and corresponds to 19th century thinking that sea air was good for health.

These 19th century design values for health and well-being have proven to be lasting. Fresh air, good ventilation, and exposure to UV rays in sunlight are some of our key weapons to fight the coronavirus pandemic. As people are confined to their homes or encouraged to travel only locally, features like windows, porches, and public parks are still crucial to our 21st century lives.