Advocacy Alert: Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Conservation Overlay Zone REPEAL

Portland City Council to hold workshop on repealing the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Conservation Overlay Zone on Monday, June 13

In February, Portland’s planning board recommended that Portland City Council dissolve the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Conservation Overlay Zone (MHNCOZ).

The Council will hold a workshop on Monday, June 13 at 5pm to consider this, with a public hearing and vote scheduled for Wednesday, June 22.

The removal of this zone will significantly impact historic resources on Munjoy Hill that are outside the new historic district!

Greater Portland Landmarks strongly believes that evaluation of the MHNCOZ should occur as part of the broader review of the impact of historic preservation to be completed by Place Economics in September 2022, as well as ReCode Phase II and the revision of the R6 design standards.

With these three major reviews coming up, it is premature to pull the MHNCOZ out for review.

If the MHNCOZ is repealed, we would lose:

• Demolition delay, which allows the city, the property owner and the community an opportunity for conversation and study about the best path forward for the property

• Workforce housing incentive specific only to Munjoy Hill

• Opportunity for review in context of ReCode Phase II

We are afraid that removing the Overlay Zone, which was never meant to be temporary, will result in a divided neighborhood – creating two Munjoy Hills – and destroy the cohesive and vibrant neighborhood we know today.

We encourage you to submit public comment as well as contact city councilors and urge them to delay considering this repeal until the MHNCOZ can be evaluated as part of the ReCode process! To submit written public comment, please send an email to publiccomment@portlandmaine.gov (and be sure to include your name and legal address).

• Access the meeting agenda and informational packet

• Read Landmarks comments to City Council

• Find councilor contact information here

Please reach out with any questions about what the repeal could mean for Munjoy Hill or if you would like assistance in crafting your public comment talking points.

Ian Stevenson, Director of Advocacy
istevenson@portlandlandmarks.org
207.774.5561 x102

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.

9 Ways to Learn about Black History in Maine

February is Black History Month, and you can celebrate by exploring these online resources about the sites of our region’s rich African-American past.

Maine Baseball Hall of Fame inductee John Gaskill and his family were among the residents of Munjoy Hill’s Black community that you can read about on our blog. The Gaskill family home at 24 Montreal Street is currently for sale, and could be torn down by the new buyer.

Pfc. Robert Holley stationed in North Yarmouth, 1942

1. During the 19th and early 20th century, Munjoy Hill was home to a vibrant African-American neighborhood. Read about some the homes and histories of these families on our blog, in part one and part two. You can also explore these stories, along with the wider history of the Hill, in our Munjoy Hill virtual walking tour!

2. St. John & Valley Street was also historically home to a Black community. The lodging and cafes in the Green Book for Portland are located in the St. John/Valley Street neighborhood. One important resident was Moses Green, who was born into slavery in Maryland and later became the wealthiest African-American man in Maine with his real estate company that helped Black families buy homes. Explore the neighborhood with our virtual walking tour!

3. Learn about the Black Guards of Maine in an online exhibit at the Maine Historical Society. The Black Guards were African-American soldiers sent to guard the state’s railways during World War II, including in North Yarmouth. The Maine Historical Society also sells some great publications about Maine’s Black history, available here. (Another great book available online is Maine’s Visible Black History by H.H. Price and Gerald Talbot.)

4. The Abyssinian Meeting House is one of Portland’s most important landmarks. Learn more about the building’s story and the tireless efforts of the Cummings Family to restore it. Portland’s India Street neighborhood was home to a Black community with many members affiliated with the Abyssinian. Explore the history of India Street in our virtual walking tour!

5. The Atlantic Black Box Project is a collaborative endeavor to explore the history and legacy of the slave trade in New England, and uncover underrepresented histories and the origins of racial injustice in our region. Learn about the rural African-American community of Peterborough, Maine in this lecture with Dr. Kate McMahon of Atlantic Black Box. You can also explore a wealth of fascinating stories from throughout New England (including some guest posts by Landmarks!) on the ABB blog.

6. Historian Bob Greene recently recorded a lecture on Maine’s Black history with a focus on Yarmouth. Watch the video, hosted by the Yarmouth Historical Society, here!

7. Learn the fascinating story of Bishop Healy’s cottage on Little Diamond Island, Maine, in this talk by Harry Pringle for the Portland Public Library’s Sustainability Series. Healy was the first Black Catholic bishop ordained in the United States.

8. Portland’s Indigo Arts Alliance is collaborating with Atlantic Black Box on a series called ReMapping New England. Described as a “historical recovery project”, it explores public art, social activism, monument making, and collective memory. Watch the first lecture here, or register for their next event.

9. The newly launched Black in Historic Preservation collective highlights past and present contributions of Black people to the field of historic preservation, and includes the Black Preservationists Directory. You can learn about justice, equity, and representation in historic preservation by watching the University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation’s symposium Re-Centering the Margin: Justice and Equity in Historic Preservation. All sessions are available on YouTube here.

Support the Munjoy Hill Historic District: Email City Council

The Portland City Council will hold a vote on the proposed Munjoy Hill Historic District on Monday, February 1! We need you to email Mayor Snyder and the City Council before the meeting - there are 3 new Councilors who have not heard your support!

HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Copy these email addresses into the TO: line of your email: ksnyder@portlandmaine.gov, pali@portlandmaine.gov, tchong@portlandmaine.gov, mdion@portlandmaine.gov, afournier@portlandmaine.gov, Azarro@portlandmaine.gov, nmm@portlandmaine.gov, bsr@portlandmaine.gov, sthibodeau@portlandmaine.gov, planningboard@portlandmaine.gov
 

Use the SUBJECT: Please support the Munjoy Hill Historic District!

State your name & place of residence, and copy this message (or add your own personalized message):

Mayor Snyder and City Councilors,
I urge you to support the proposed Munjoy Hill Historic District. The district will protect those properties that reflect the unique history of the hill and its residents for the last 180 years, including immigrants from Eastern and Western Europe, Scandinavia, Africa, and the Caribbean. The district will also support sustainability and affordable housing goals established in the City’s 2017 comprehensive plan.

Hundreds of units of affordable housing, as well as new market rate units, have been built in Portland’s existing historic districts in the last five years. Portland’s historic districts provide access to federal and state Historic Tax Credits, significant funding for challenging housing projects. Reusing and improving our existing building stock will also significantly help meet our goals to cut carbon emissions, reducing the need for the manufacture and transportation of new building materials - as well as reducing the amount of building demolition materials that enter our waste stream. 

Please vote to support the district. Thank you.

SEND before noon on Friday, 1/29!

GET THE FACTS ON THE MUNJOY HILL HISTORIC DISTRICT:

See Landmarks’ comments to City Council for the 2/1 meeting and vote.

Read more about the proposed historic district here.

Learn about how historic districts positively impact affordable housing.

10 Facts about the proposed Munjoy Hill Historic District

For nearly three years, the historic designation process has yielded a tremendous amount of information and prompted passionate discussion. These conversations have also revealed misconceptions and misinformation about the Munjoy Hill Historic District.

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As the district heads to a city council vote, we’re here to clear things up with some of the most important facts about the proposed District.

1.      The Munjoy Hill Historic District was initiated by Portland City Council and city staff in June 2018 in response to residents concerned about development pressure, and to fulfill preservation, sustainability, and affordable housing goals central to Portland’s Comprehensive Plan.

(Source: City of Portland Staff Memo July 1, 2020: While the zoning amendments, demolition delay ordinance and revised R6 design standards and design review process were adopted by the Council in June, the Council was not yet in a position to make a financial decision on staff's proposal to create a historic district on Munjoy Hill. As staff explained, Portland's historic preservation ordinance requires that detailed documentation and analysis be conducted in order to delineate district boundaries and make the case for designation. As of June 2018, staff was simply seeking the Council's general support for moving forward with consideration of a district. With the Council's support, the work got underway late last summer.)

2.      More than 80% of public comments received by the city so far are IN FAVOR of the proposed District. (Source: Public Comment Received To Date)

3.      The proposed district protects buildings that reflect the story of Portland’s most historically diverse neighborhood. Over the past 180 years, the Hill has been home to a robust Black community and immigrants from Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean – the District will preserve the stories of communities underrepresented in Portland’s other historic designations. (Source: Munjoy Hill Historic District Development & Context Statement April 2019)

The buildings on Munjoy Hill represent several major periods of significance (1850s-1930s) in Portland’s development and history:

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• Expansion of the Eastern Waterfront

• Rebuilding after the Great Fire of 1866

• Turn of the 20th century Immigration                      

• Portland’s Black History 

4.      Historic designation is NOT a factor included in property valuation, and historic districts have no impact on property taxes. (Source: City of Portland Tax Assessor Chris Huff)

5.      Portland’s Historic Preservation ordinance does NOT place costly or onerous requirements on homeowners. The regulations are much looser than in many other cities – nobody’s going to regulate your paint colors! Only exterior changes visible from the street are regulated, in-kind replacements of modern materials are allowed, and the ordinance doesn’t apply to interior changes or building use. Decks, garages, and solar panels have all been approved. (Source: Portland Historic Preservation Program FAQ)

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• See more recently approved projects from the proposed Munjoy Hill Historic District

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Population Density in Portland’s Historic Districts

6.      New housing and increased density is possible in historic districts - 46% of Portland’s new housing units added in the past five years were built in an area subject to Historic Preservation Board review. Accessory dwelling units, additions, new units within existing buildings, and new infill housing are allowed in local historic districts. Portland’s historic districts include some of the city’s densest neighborhoods. (Source: Portland, Maine Population Density, 2018 American Community Survey, US Census Bureau)

• Click here to read the Standards for Review of New Construction in Portland’s Historic Preservation Ordinance.

• Click here to learn more about housing and community development in Portland.

7.      Historic Districts support affordable housing. Demolition and building new is expensive, and older housing stock is rarely replaced with affordable units.

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8.      Historic districts make buildings eligible for state and federal tax credits that make many affordable housing projects possible. Greater Portland Landmarks, along with other organizations across the country, are advocating for technical changes to tax credit programs that will make them easier to pair with low-income housing tax credits.

• Click here to read the new Maine Historic Tax Credit Economic Impacts Report.

• Click here to read 24 Reasons Historic Preservation is Good for Your Community from PlaceEconomics.

9.      Building reuse fights climate change and supports local and state sustainability goals. Reuse is greener than demolition and new construction - it takes an average of 20-30 years for a new energy efficient building to compensate for the initial carbon impacts from construction. (Source: The Greenest Building: Qualifying the Environmental Value of Building Reuse)

10.      The Munjoy Hill Conservation Overlay District is a separate land use tool that was implemented in 2018 with the intention that it would work in conjunction with a future historic district. As with most new zoning, the city will audit the overlay and make adjustments, probably as part of the planned city-wide zoning re-write, known as ReCode Phase II. (Source: ReCode Portland)

How to Participate in the Munjoy Hill Historic District Virtual Public Meeting

Join the zoom meeting via this link.

When prompted, use your full name to register as an attendee. You will never be seen on video, you will only be heard when the moderator allows you to speak.

You can also call in to the meeting with your phone to speak. Use the phone number 312-626-6799 and follow the prompts. The webinar ID is 841 4318 1611 and the passcode is 861430.

When public comment opens on a specific agenda item, the moderator will announce it. To indicate you want to speak, you will "raise your hand" - click the raise your hand button (depending on your device, it will be at the bottom of the screen or in the upper right).

The moderator or chair will recognize you and ask you by name to unmute your microphone. A small window will pop up. Select the unmute option. You will have three minutes to speak. We suggest writing notes beforehand to read! When you are finished, you can click mute to mute yourself or the moderator will can turn off your mic after 3 minutes.

That's it! To leave the meeting, you can click "leave meeting".

Tell City Council you support the Munjoy Hill Historic District!

City Council will hold a public meeting and vote on the proposed District Monday, November 16. We need you to email your support to Mayor Snyder and the City Council before the meeting - the district designation is in your hands!

Here's how you can help:

Copy these email addresses into the TO: line of your email: ksnyder@portlandmaine.gov, pali@portlandmaine.gov, tchong@portlandmaine.gov, kcook@portlandmaine.gov, jcosta@portlandmaine.gov, jduson@portlandmaine.gov, nmm@portlandmaine.gov, bsr@portlandmaine.gov, sthibodeau@portlandmaine.gov, planningboard@portlandmaine.gov
 

Use the SUBJECT: Please support the Munjoy Hill Historic District!

State your name & place of residence, and copy this message (or add your own personalized message):

Mayor Snyder and City Councilors,
I urge you to support the proposed Munjoy Hill Historic District. The district will protect those properties that reflect the unique history of the hill and its residents for the last 180 years, including immigrants from Eastern and Western Europe, Scandinavia, Africa, and the Caribbean. The district will also support sustainability and affordable housing goals established in the City’s 2017 comprehensive plan.

Hundreds of units of affordable housing, as well as new market rate units, have been built in Portland’s existing historic districts in the last five years. Portland’s historic districts provide access to federal and state Historic Tax Credits, significant funding for challenging housing projects. Reusing and improving our existing building stock will also significantly help meet our goals to cut carbon emissions, reducing the need for the manufacture and transportation of new building materials - as well as reducing the amount of building demolition materials that enter our waste stream. 

Please vote to support the district on November 16th. Thank you.

SEND before noon on Monday, 11/16!

Get the facts on the Munjoy Hill Historic District:

Read more about the proposed historic district here.

Learn about how historic districts positively impact affordable housing.

The death of Captain Lemuel Moody

Captain Lemuel Moody died on August 11, 1846, and was buried the following day in Eastern Cemetery, at the bottom of the hill on which his Observatory stands. The following is the obituary that was published in the Portland Advertiser on August 12, 1846.

Listen to Moody’s great-great-great-great grandson John York read his obituary at the Observatory here.

We lament to have to record this day the sudden death of our respected townsman, Capt. Lemuel Moody, who died in a fit early this morning. Capt. Moody was the son of Enoch Moody and Ann Weeks, and was born in Portland, June 30, 1767; he was consequently past 79 years of age. His father came from Newbury, and built in 1740, the two story wooden house near the corner of Congress and Franklin Street, which is the oldest house in town, and where the subject of this article was born.

Capt. Moody, like the sons of most of our old families, the Prebles, McLellans, Weeks, Tuckers, &c., embarked on the sea for a livelihood.  Our people were thoroughly commercial, their whole energies were employed from their earliest settlement in pursuits connected with the ocean; and our enterprising young men were therefore naturally drawn to that department of life as affording at once the most sure and speedy, and at the same time the most exciting means of advancement in the world. And we do not hesitate to say that no place on the margin of any ocean, has furnished a finer race of hardy, skillful and successful mariners than our own port.

Moody’s tomb

Capt. Moody followed the seas for many years with reputation and success; and forty years ago, he took an active part in getting up an association for the erection of the Observatory, over which he had presided nearly the whole time; keeping a careful watch through his telescope of all occurrences within the range of its vision, and often furnishing the earliest information in regard to disasters happening on our coast, by which effectual relief has been seasonably afforded.  And during all that period, constantly sweeping the horizon, his signals have reported to their owners the approach of their vessels.  At the same time he has kept accurate tables of the weather, notices of which have repeatedly appeared in our paper. – Nor is this the extent of the benefit he has conferred upon the maritime interest; the whole was crowned by the publication in 1825 of a very carefully prepared chart of Casco Bay, with soundings of the coast, from the mouth of the Saco, to the mouth of the Kennebec, and of the principal channels and harbors.

He imparted freely and kindly to all who sought it, information in regard to the harbors and coast, and on the subjects with which he was familiar, and none could leave his company without a favorable impression of the results of his gathered observation, and of the benevolence of his character.

He died in the strength of his intellect and the mellowed ripeness of his affections; he will leave a space in this community which it may not be easy to fill.  It is an interesting fact, and well worthy of notice, that this very morning, previous to his death, he was on top of this Observatory, taking his accustomed observations around the horizon; thus making his final survey over the ocean and land, in the freshness of this beautiful morning, before taking leave of them forever, to enter upon a brighter and better world to which the telescope of his heart has long been directed.

View of Munjoy Hill, Portland, artist unknown, c.1840 (Collection of the Portland Museum of Art)

Munjoy Hill Local Historic District

Did you know that the protections of the historic district have been temporarily in effect since the Historic Preservation Board recommended the district move forward last year? Several projects have already been reviewed and approved by the Historic Preservation Board with these protections in place, demonstrating that adding new housing units, incorporating modern additions, and incorporating solar panels are all possible in a Historic District!

49 St. Lawrence Street

Architectural rendering of 49 St. Lawrence Street with new additions and rehabilitated front facade. Mark Mueller Architects

The current owner of the building is proposing to convert the 2 ½ story wood frame residence from three units to four units. The project is prompted by a number of goals, including a desire to increase the number of units within the building, convert the attic area into useful living space, improve the layout and functionality of each floor, and address the generally deteriorated condition of the house. The existing structure was built c. 1858 and is typical of the architecture that characterizes much of Munjoy Hill with its wood frame construction, simple mass and scale, and gable-end-to-the-street orientation. The building is a vernacular expression of the Greek Revival style with most of its architectural detail covered by the application of replacement siding in the late 20th century.

In working to meet the client’s goals, the project architects found that they needed to introduce a stair tower addition to comply with code requirements triggered by the project. The project includes: new cementitious clapboard siding, corner boards, new windows and window openings, new doors, refurbished entry stairs with new treads, risers and code-compliant railings, and a standing seam metal roof. New additions include the stair tower, shed dormers, and entry porch. A rear addition is proposed to replace existing rear decks, stairs and porch addition and will accommodate an elevator. Solar panels are to be installed on the roof. The project was approved by the Historic Preservation Board in early March.

9 Howard Street

9 Howard Street existing conditions.

The two ½ story, wood frame residential structure at 9 Howard Street represents a building type, form and style that dominates much of the Munjoy Hill neighborhood. The building was built in 1881 and exhibits the proportions and architectural details generally associated with the Italianate style, including prominent bays on the front and south elevations, an oriel window on the north elevation, tall windows, and a prominent projecting cornice with eave returns. Instead of a bracketed hood over the front entry, there is a flat-roofed portico supported by square columns and pilasters and featuring a wide frieze. It is likely that the front portico is a later alteration as the entry off the rear ell features a typical Italianate bracketed hood.

The project includes new dormers, windows, and the rehabilitation of the front entry. At the front entry, the single door and sidelight will be replaced with double-doors, consistent with original appearance and the existing porch railings will be replaced or reconfigured to extend to the bottom stair. New posts with turned ball finials (matching the documented design) will replace existing posts. The application was submitted on January 29th and approved on March 24, 2020.

Before and after design for the front entrance at 9 Howard Street. Blue Anchor Designs

24 St. Lawrence Street

This 1924 Portland Tax assessor image documents the early look of the dwelling. This photographic collection is a great resource for homeowners. You can search for your home!

This project includes a new garage and a multi-story rear addition. The project proposal also includes extensive exterior rehabilitation of the original 1851 Greek Revival side gable, two-family dwelling. A previous proposal to demolish the house and build a multi-unit condominium building was withdrawn following classification of the house as Preferably Preserved under the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District ordinance, permitting issues, and neighborhood opposition.

Part of the early wave of development on the south side of Munjoy Hill after the founding of the Portland Company and the Atlantic & St. Lawrence Railroad, the dwelling is a contributing building in the proposed Munjoy Hill Historic District. The current owners purchased the property in July 2019. The project will demolish the existing one-story, hip-roofed, single-car detached garage and an existing deck and stair structure attached to the rear of the house, and construct a new garage. The new two-car garage will be connected to the rear of the house by a new deck and stairs. A new elevator will rise from the garage to a new third-floor dormer on the rear roof plane of the house and connect to the house by upper floor hallways. All of the proposed construction is on the rear of the house; the front of the building will be rehabilitated. The project was applied for in late January and approved less than two months later in March 2020.

The house at 24 St. Lawrence Street will remain largely as is, but a modern addition will be built at the rear, along with a new garage. Sheri Winter, architect.

34-36 North Street

This project features a second floor addition to an existing one-story bay to add more light to the owners’ living space. This two-family, wood-framed residence is a fairly simple transitional Queen Anne designed by John Calvin Stevens and built in 1882. It closely resembles 38 North Street next door, also designed by Stevens. 34-36 North Street is classified as a contributing structure in the proposed Munjoy Hill Historic District, while 38 North is listed as noncontributing because of numerous alterations to the original fabric. Nevertheless, the strong resemblance between the two houses is still evident, and the still extant original two-story bay at 38 North Street provided valuable design clues for the proposed project. The owners applied for the project on January 7, 2020 and it was approved by the Historic Preservation Board with conditions a few weeks later on January 30th.

Before and after drawings of the proposed exterior changes. Dextrous Creative