Maine Memory Network

Oxen and sled, Fore Street, Portland, ca. 1895

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1895 Location: Portland Media: Photographic print

Aerial view of the Fore River and the Portland Peninsula, ca. 1930

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society/MaineToday Media Date: circa 1930 Location: Portland; South Portland Media: Glass negative

2-82 Fore Street, Portland, 1924

Owner in 1924: Portland Company Use: Foundry

2-82 Fore Street, Portland, 1924

Owner in 1924: Portland Company Use: Foundry

Longfellow's Birthplace on corner of Fore and Hancock, Portland, 1950

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: 1950-04-26 Location: Portland Client: unknown Architect: John Howard Stevens and John Calvin Stevens II Architects

Joseph's, Portland, 1984-1987

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: 1984–1987 Location: Portland; Portland Client: Joseph's Architect: Carol A. Wilson; Carol A. Wilson Architect

Home: The Longfellow House & the Emergence of Portland

The Wadsworth-Longfellow house is the oldest building on the Portland peninsula, the first historic site in Maine, a National Historic Landmark, home to three generations of Wadsworth and Longfellow family members -- including the boyhood home of the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The history of the house and its inhabitants provide a unique view of the growth and changes of Portland -- as well as of the immediate surroundings of the home.

Portland Hotels

Since the establishment of the area's first licensed hotel in 1681, Portland has had a dramatic, grand and boisterous hotel tradition. The Portland hotel industry has in many ways reflected the growth and development of the city itself. As Portland grew with greater numbers of people moving through the city or calling it home, the hotel business expanded to fit the increasing demand.

Mercy Hospital - 100 Years of Mercy Hospital

"Phase I of Mercy Fore River opened in September 2008 with a state-of-the-art medical office building and an advanced new hospital facility."

Scarborough: They Called It Owascoag - Roads: From Footpaths to Super Highway

"The route started in Portland, crossed the Fore River at Stroudwater, passed through Thornton Heights (Skunk Hill), went along what we call the…"

Monument Square 1967
by C. Michael Lewis

The background story and research behind a commissioned painting of Monument Square.

History of Forest Gardens
by Gary Libby

This is a history of one of Portland's oldest local bars

Portland History: "My Lost Youth" - Longfellow's Portland, Then and Now

Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12 Content Area: English Language Arts, Social Studies
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow loved his boyhood home of Portland, Maine. Born on Fore Street, the family moved to his maternal grandparents' home on Congress Street when Henry was eight months old. While he would go on to Bowdoin College and travel extensively abroad, ultimately living most of his adult years in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he never forgot his beloved Portland. Years after his childhood, in 1855, he wrote "My Lost Youth" about his undiminished love for and memories of growing up in Portland. This exhibit, using the poem as its focus, will present the Portland of Longfellow's boyhood. In many cases the old photos will be followed by contemporary images of what that site looked like 2004. Following the exhibit of 68 slides are five suggested lessons that can be adapted for any grade level, 3–12.