Advocacy in December

It is a busy meeting week in Portland! There will be a City Council workshop on Wednesday to set goals for the Council in 2021. There will also be Planning Board, Historic Preservation Board, and Public Art meetings this wek. Read on to learn more about the projects that are expected to be discussed this week:

Portland Planning Board meeting - Tuesday, December 15th @6PM

A rendering of the redeveloped hospital building from Spring Street.

The redevelopment of 148 State Street, the current Mercy Hospital building, will be on the agenda at Tuesday’s meeting. The planning board will hold a public hearing on a proposal to rezone the hospital parcels from R6 to B3, a zone change that would accommodate denser housing on the site and some small scale commercial uses in the lower floors of the existing hospital building that would be challenging to reuse as residential. The rezoning request by the applicant was expanded at the request of city staff to include the mostly non-residential buildings on the opposite side of State Street, including St. Luke’s Church, the State Street Church, and Landmarks’ former offices at 165 State Street. Below is Landmarks’ statement for the public hearing on Tuesday.

Mercy Hospital's history began in 1918 during the Spanish Flu pandemic. Tonight, over 100 years later in the midst of yet another pandemic, we are discussing the redevelopment of the iconic hospital building on State Street built by the Sisters of Mercy during World War II from 1941-1943. Greater Portland Landmarks is pleased to support the redevelopment of the Mercy Hospital parcels and the proposed rezoning, which we believe will bring new life to the two historic buildings and provide much needed new housing and care facility beds in Portland. The proposed redevelopment project is an excellent example of how historic districts and buildings can accommodate new housing, particularly affordable housing. The proposed rezoning will also provide greater flexibility for the reuse of other non-residential historic buildings on State Street if they too should need to be redeveloped sometime in the future. 

The rezoning of the Mercy Hospital parcels is only the first step in the process of the site's redevelopment. We are hopeful, given the renderings thus far, that the proposed new construction and site features will be designed to knit together the fabric of the neighborhood along Winter, Gray, and State Streets.  Street trees, building details, and pedestrian transitions between the sidewalk and buildings entrances will be important design elements to consider as the site is developed so that the new buildings will fit within the context of the historic neighborhood. We look forward to the project progressing through the Historic Preservation Board and Site Plan Reviews and to its successful redevelopment as Mercy Hospital consolidates its functions to its Fore River campus. - Greater Portland Landmarks 12/15/2020

Join the zoom meeting or contact the Planning Board at planning@portlandmaine.gov

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Portland Historic Preservation Board Meeting - Wednesday, December 16th at 5PM

There are three items on the Board’s agenda this week. The Westin Hotel on High Street, the hotel under construction at 1 Center Street and the building at 110 Exchange Street are all proposing rooftop additions.

Join the zoom meeting

A proposed new residential unit atop the building at 110 Exchange Street.

A proposed deck on the rooftop of the Westin Hotel.

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Portland Public Art Meeting - Wednesday, December 16th at 4PM

The Public Art Committee is expected to discuss the final renderings of the Congress Square Plaza public art piece and the status of the process of the Bramhall Square redesign. While no images were included with the agenda, if any are posted during the meeting, we will update the blog and share them with you!

Join the zoom meeting

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City Council Workshop - Wednesday, December 16th at 5PM

Meeting agenda

Join the zoom meeting

What’s Happening in Preservation at the State and National Level?

by Julie Ann Larry, Director of Advocacy

I hope that everyone is well this holiday season. I took a bit of a break over the Thanksgiving holiday away from the internet and phone service. It was much needed time off but now I am back at work and ready to engage in all the exciting new projects and policies that are in the works for 2021!

While Greater Portland Landmarks works mostly at the local level, we also engage with state and federal legislation that will impact the historic preservation profession and our historic communities. While I was away there were several developments at the state and federal level.

In Maine this week was the release of the Governor’s Climate Action Plan. Greater Portland Landmarks and our preservation allies participated in the public workshops held by the Climate Council this spring and summer. Learn more about our advocacy on the Climate Action Plan and read our joint letter to the Council here. The plan’s goal is to ensure that Maine’s communities, industries, and people are resilient to the impacts of climate change and to reduce Maine’s Carbon Emissions 45% below 1990 levels by 2030. The plan has many important steps, but of special note are plans to help improve the efficiency of Maine’s existing housing stock.

Historic resources in Maine’s coastal and riverine communities are at risk from the impacts of climate change. Maine’s Climate Action Plan sets goals to reduce the state’s carbon emissions and make our communities more resilient.

One significant step will be to switch buildings to cleaner heating and cooling systems. About 60% of Maine households rely on heating oil as their primary home heating source — the highest percentage in the country. The plan calls for the installation of at least 100,000 new heat pumps in Maine by 2025. Did you know Greater Portland Landmarks’ headquarters, the Safford House, is heated by water-cooled, ducted heat pumps? Our system was installed nearly a decade ago, replacing an old oil-fired furnace.

If you are interested in the best practices you should follow when making your older home more energy efficient, check out Landmarks’ publication The Energy Efficient Old House. We also have other publications on sustainability and energy efficiency on our Resources webpage. Greater Portland Landmarks believes historic preservation and the green building movement are natural allies: the greenest building, as the saying goes, is the one that is already built! Greater Portland’s existing older buildings embody a heavy prior investment in resources and energy. Keeping them in use conserves that investment, and is recycling at its best!

As the Congress looks ahead to 2021, preservationists are advocating for legislation that will improve opportunities for affordable housing in historic buildings and address the vulnerability of our communities to the impacts of climate change.

The Motherhouse on Stevens Avenue in Portland is one of several projects in Maine that has been rehabilitated pairing Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and Historic Tax Credits. We are joining preservation advocates nationwide to make this paired funding process easier to increase affordable housing opportunities in our community.

At the federal level several issues remain under negotiation while the current Congress debates its final bills during the Lame-Duck session this month, or face uncertain futures as the new Biden administration takes shape. Last month Tom Cassidy, Vice President for Government Relations at the National Trust for Historic Preservation led a presentation to preservation advocates across the nation on the most pressing policy issues facing the preservation community in the months ahead. Potential areas of focus for the last days of the 116th Congress will likely be pandemic relief and extending government funding beyond next week’s December 11th deadline. Preservationist are presently advocating for improvements to the Historic Tax Credit (HTCs) that will aid in the pairing of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and the HTCs. The pairing of these two programs has benefited a number of affordable housing projects in Maine, including the rehabilitation of the Motherhouse on Stevens Avenue in Portland and the Southgate Mansion in Scarborough. In addition, preservationists are advocating for increased opportunities for small projects to take advantage of HTCs.

Landmarks is working to document and conserve coastal resources impacted by climate change.

The National Trust’s presentation also looked forward to likely priorities of the 117th Congress: Climate Change, Affordable Housing, and Racial Equity. Landmarks, like many historic preservation non-profits across the nation, has expanded its focus to address challenges in all three areas in recent years. We plan to continue to broaden our advocacy and education programming to reflect our ongoing research in these areas. If you missed our Staying Above Water presentations in October, I hope you’ll take some time to check out the fantastic speakers that joined us to discuss the reasons Maine is susceptible to the impacts of climate change, what those impacts might be, and how we can improve our resilience.

With your support, through donations and your individual advocacy, we are successfully able to advocate for the reuse of historic buildings to the benefit of the environment and our neighbors. Your support also allows us to advocate for sound policies at the local, state and national level that protect and enhance our important cultural resources. Thank you for supporting Greater Portland Landmarks this year!

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.

Historic Preservation Meeting 11/4/2020

The Historic Preservation Board will hold a workshop on Wednesday, November 4th, starting at 5PM. All city meetings are being held virtually via Zoom:

The following projects will be discussed at the Board’s workshop tonight:

29-35 Commercial Street, the Galt Warehouse Block

The proposed alterations will accommodate a change in use of the mid-19th century warehouse building’s upper stories from offices to residential units. Applicant’s image of the proposed rooftop addition.

Staff Memo

Drawings

110 Exchange Street, John M. Adams Block

The proposal is for a two-story rooftop addition to accommodate a residential unit on the top of the 1892 commercial block. Applicant’s image of the proposed rooftop addition.

Staff Memo
Drawings

Portland’s Ghost Signs

By Anastasia Azenaro-Moore

Painted wall signs are nearly as old as writing itself. Ancient Egyptians used to carve public notices on steles, Phoenician merchants painted rocks to advertise local market stalls along well-traveled trade routes and painted wall advertisements were found in the ruins of Pompeii. Outdoor, painted wall advertising continued to grow and evolve, even as literacy declined, during the Middle Ages. The first inkling of the modern American wall advertisements came from the European Renaissance when painted signs were fixed to the fascia of buildings. The apex of outdoor advertising was the creation and proliferation of painted wall signs throughout American cities from the late 19th century into the mid-20th century.  

Wall-painting in America rose to prominence in the late 19th century, not so coincidentally at the same time new building technology allowed for taller structures. The signs painted on these structures, often three or four stories up from the ground, were intended to be visible for faster modes of transportation. During the late 19th century, elevated trains first made their appearance in America’s cities as did electric trolleys. Later, in the 20th century, automobiles would stake their claim in America’s cities, and in order for these signs to be seen from increased speed they had to be larger. 

Portland has dozens of these painted wall signs, known as “ghost signs”, mostly concentrated in the Old Port and along Congress Street. These signs span over 100 years and advertise everything from hotels to  locomotive manufacturing. These signs are in varying states of decay with some, like the “E. Swasey & Co” sign at 267 Commercial Street in remarkable good condition for its age, while others like the “Everett Chambers Hotel” at 51 Oak Street are in rougher shape despite being newer. This is largely due to the paint used, with older white lead-based paints holding up better against the elements than colored paints. 

Other signs, such as the “Casco” Beverages sign at the former Corbetts Market Groceries on 21 Pleasant Street, are examples of a privilege sign. Privilege signs were wall advertisements for national or local companies, such as Coca-Cola. In exchange for the use of wall space, the local business or merchant would be promoted on the sign free of cost. Often these companies chose to place these privilege signs on retailers that sold their products - hence the prevalence of privilege signs for local markets and grocery stores - but, on rare occasions, national companies would use the walls of non-related retailers.  

Portland’s ghost signs face many of the same threats that ghost signs face nationwide: rampant development and general wear and-tear due to exposure to wind, sun, rain and snow. We can even see, if we try hard enough, where some of these former ghost signs once stood. Take the Dry Dock, for example, where one can still see the shape of a former sign for Randall and McAllister’s Coal Company.  

These ghost signs are an important part of Portland’s legacy and they reveal stories of immigration, a changing economy, and a growing city. These remnants can be seen on apartment buildings, restaurants and department stores; creating a map of Portland’s past. This map lays out our city’s history and the key is to just look up.

11 Brown Street: Eastman Brothers & Bancroft

Eastman Bros & Bancroft was established in 1865 by Bricino M. Eastman, Fred E. Eastman, and Ermon D. Eastman. The department store specialized in dry and fancy goods including wallpaper, glassware, lady’s cloaks, silks, linens and suits. The store closed in 1932, a victim of the Great Depression, and in 1937 Filenes opened in this location.

16 Forest Ave: Congress Square Billiards Hall

Congress Square Billiards (8a Forest Ave) was established in 1933 and lasted until 1954. Its name derived from the pool hall’s proximity to Congress Square, a small space, now a park, to the immediate north of the Eastland Hotel (completed in the late 1920s). In 1940, Congress Square Billiards had 8 pool tables and 2 billiards tables. While there is scant information available on the history of Congress Square Billiards itself, the existence of the billiards hall speaks to a larger narrative of the night-life of Portland in the mid 20th century. In 1940, there were six locations that were advertised where one could play pool or billiards (including the Boys Club of America and the Y.M.C.A) within a small section of town between State Street and Forest Ave. Portland’s downtown also boasted 9 bowling alleys within a two-mile radius. Today, there are three pool halls in the entire city and two bowling alleys.

Statement on Question C

In this election, Portland residents will vote on several referendums, including Question C: An Act to Implement a Green New Deal for Portland. This question proposes six pages of complex land use policies. Because the policies are being implemented by referendum, they cannot be altered – except through another referendum – for five years.

We know from experience that new land use policies often require adjustments and revisions after they are enacted. A good example is the Form-Based Code that was created for the India Street neighborhood. Soon after its implementation, in response to questions from property owners, designers and developers, the code was amended to clarify confusing language.

Greater Portland Landmarks shares many of the goals intended by the proposed legislation, and we look forward to working with People First Portland and all Portland residents to achieve these objectives:

• Increased affordability and quantity of new housing units, particularly through the reuse of buildings.

• apprenticeship programs that bring new workers into the preservation trades.

• increased energy efficiency and sustainability projects, like solar and green roofs, that support sustainability goals and combat the threat climate change poses to our coastal communities and historic sites.

While we support the intentions of Question C, we believe that it will have unintended outcomes that negatively impact sustainable development and affordable housing. With no efficient means to modify the policy for five years, this negative impact may slow the construction of more sustainable buildings as well as affordable and workforce housing for years.

Question C will also have a potentially negative impact on the rehabilitation of historic buildings in Portland, a process which has resulted in a significant number of new housing units in just the last five years. The requirements of Question C, while well-intentioned, will make similar planned and future projects less viable, potentially resulting in the demolition of historic structures that could have been rehabilitated, and an overall loss of housing units. Specifically, Question C:

• creates a complex process of green building standard exemptions for historic buildings pits preservation against sustainability, when the two are compatible − reuse of historic structures is one of the greenest types of development.

• complicates projects using rehabilitation tax credits (a financial incentive often used to create housing), which are governed by federal standards.

• creates potential problems with defining the change of use of a historic building as a renovation.

Greater Portland Landmarks understands that what we think of as an open, public process is not as inclusive as we have believed it to be. We also understand that our process for making policy should be more open and accessible to the wider community of Portland earlier in the policy-making process. There is room for improvement here – by and for all of us.

We encourage you to vote against Question C. We encourage you to elect local and state leaders who reflect your values, and we encourage you join us in adding your voice in helping shape better, more inclusive, community-driven solutions in Portland.

11 Things To Do This Autumn

Get in the spirit of spooky season:

This year, you can walk among the spirits at Eastern Cemetery virtually – and it’s free! Walk Among the Shadows: Vices, Voices, and the Vote from October 22 to November 7, seven eerie spirits will share their stories of the voting practices of their time in Portland, Maine, as well as those of the country's early days. You'll hear about their efforts to win women’s access to the ballot box... or how they argued against the very idea. As always, the event presents real people—portrayed by costumed actors—who have returned from their restful sleep to offer their personal, sometimes humorous, perspectives on history.

How about a scary drive-in movie? The Pride’s Corner Drive-In and the Bridgton Twin Drive-In are open through the end of October with a schedule of Halloween classics. The Saco Drive-In will reopen for a special October 17 Halloween showing of the Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) featuring remote accompaniment played on the Kotzschmar Organ!

Indulge in one Maine’s favorite treats:

The Maine Whoopie Pie Festival in Dover-Foxcroft couldn’t happen in person this year, but instead of cancelling the organizers turned it into a statewide Whoopie Pie celebration: WHOOPtoberfest! Check out the map to find whoopee pies near you, and vote on your favorites - through the end of October. (Pictured is a special pumpkin whoopie pie from Cape Whoopies, a greater Portland favorite.)

Explore a new neighborhood:

It’s the perfect time for an autumn walk using one of our self-guided walking tours! You can also tour greater Portland virtually from your computer if the weather is gloomy. We have 11 neighborhoods available and more on the way!

Start your holiday shopping early:

The Thompson’s Point Maker’s Market is back with indoor and outdoor vendors and a socially-distanced set up so you can support small businesses, local craftspeople, and the agricultural community. Shop on Sundays October 18, November 22, December 6, and December 20!

Maine at 200:

The Maine Historical Society’s bicentennial public programming continues with two more virtual talks on our state’s history. On Thursday, October 22 at 6 PM, Liam Riordan (Department of History, University of Maine) on the long process of how Maine became a state, slavery and the Maine-Missouri Crisis, Wabanaki sovereignty, and more. On Wednesday, November 11 at 6 PM, James Eric Francis, Sr. (Director of Cultural and Historic Preservation, Penobscot Nation) talks about how pandemics have affected Wabanaki communities since the first Europeans interacted with Wabanaki people on the shores of what is now known as Maine.

Experience the best of all things Irish in Maine:

The Salmon Falls Dam by Gibeon Elden Bradbury

The Maine Irish Heritage Society premiers a showcase of Irish talents, from music to baking and more, on November 22 from 4-6 PM.

Explore the beauty of the Saco River Valley:

The Saco Museum presents the paintings of Gibeon Elden Bradbury, depicting 19th century life in Buxton and the Saco River Valley, on view through December 31.

And the most important thing to do this fall: VOTE!

Maine's Apple Heritage

By Kate Burch

Apples grown at the Maine Heritage Orchard

Apple picking, an iconic New England pastime, has been more popular than ever this year, despite pandemic restrictions and a drought that lowered apple production for most orchards. Though apples are not native to New England, the fruit has a long history in Maine.

Anthony Brackett’s orchard can be seen at #13 (upper left) on this 1690 map of Portland (Maine Historical Society)

Maine apple expert John Bunker (watch his excellent lecture hosted by Maine Historical Society from October 2020) theorizes that apples were first planted by some of the earliest European explorers to the continent. Early European colonists in New England grew apples on their farms for eating as well as for cider and animal feed. One of the earliest recorded Maine orchards is Anthony Brackett’s. Brackett had a farm and orchard in Portland near the current Deering Oaks Park. In 1689, Brackett’s orchard was the site of a major battle of the French and Indian Wars. Brackett was killed in the fighting and his farm and orchard were destroyed.

Moses Wood, a seedling variety discovered on the farm of Moses Wood of Winthrop, Maine, first exhibited in 1833 or 1834. (via The Righteous Russet on Instagram)

Apples don’t come true from seed. That means that if you plant an apple seed from a Red Delicious apple, the tree that grows won’t produce Red Delicious – it will produce a totally new variety! Maine’s farmers and orchard owners experimented with these seedling apples and apple breeding, developing many unique varieties like the Black Oxford. Apples that were no good for fresh eating might be used for cooking or cider, or to feed to the animals. It was common for most farms to have at least a few apple trees, which is why you can so often find old apple trees growing near old farmsteads in Maine. In the 19th century, the development of commercially successful varieties like McIntosh and Courtland prompted the expansion of many Maine orchards and cemented New England’s connection with apple growing.

Here are some greater Portland orchards that have been around for at least 100 years. (The oldest orchards don’t always grow the oldest varieties. If you’re interested in Maine’s heirloom varieties, check out the Maine Heirloom Apple Guide.)

Sweetser’s Apple Barrel (Cumberland)
(website)

The Sweetser family has owned and operated this orchard in Cumberland since the 1830s, and the house and farm feature in our Cumberland virtual walking tour. Samuel Robinson Sweetser married Mary Jane Pittee and moved into her family’s farmstead, and started growing apples as a mainstay crop. Several of the varieties he planted, like Rolfe, Weathy, and Northern Spy, are still grown at the orchard today. You can’t pick your own here, but they grow around 50 common and heritage varieties available at the farmstand.

Randall Orchards (Standish)
(website)

Randall Orchards was founded by Edgar Randall in 1905 and is still run by the Randalls, who live in the 1776 white farmhouse on the property. This pick-your-own orchard has more than 20 apple varieties (including many New England classics) and they press their own cider. The farm is protected by an agricultural and conservation easement, and visitors can hike the forest trails around the orchard.

Thompson’s Orchard (New Gloucester)
(website)

An apple cider donut at Thompson’s

Arthur E. and Myrtle Thompson purchased this orchard in 1906 and expanded it from 800 trees to a large commercial operation that shipped apples all the way to England. Today, they offer pick-your-own apples, including many of those important early 19th and 20th century varieties like McIntosh, Macoun, and Courtland, as well as a bakery and fresh cider.

Brackett’s Orchard (Limington)
(website)

This orchard is outside the greater Portland area, but it’s possibly the oldest continually operated orchard in Maine! Started by the Brackett Family in 1783, the 8th generation of the family now owns the orchard, which offers pick-your-own apples, pumpkins, squash, and cider.

McDougal Orchards (Springvale)
(website)

Another orchard that’s a little outside our area, but one with a long history! McDougal Orchard stands on land that was purchased by Joshua Hanson in 1779, and the land has been farmed by the family ever since. In the early 20th century Judge George Hanson started a Baldwin apple orchard. Today, McDougal grows dozens varieties, including a range of rare heirloom apples, with both pick-your-own apples, a farmstand, and a donut shack. The orchard and surrounding forest is protected by easements.