Maine Memory Network

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.

Longfellow: The Man Who Invented America

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was a man and a poet of New England conscience. He was influenced by his ancestry and his Portland boyhood home and experience.

Drawing Together: Art of the Longfellows

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is best know as a poet, but he also was accomplished in drawing and music. He shared his love of drawing with most of his siblings. They all shared the frequent activity of drawing and painting with their children. The extended family included many professional as well as amateur artists, and several architects.

Music in Maine - Longfellow Family Music

"… Wadsworth Longfellow spent his childhood in the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, nurtured by family members who read avidly, drew, painted, played…"

Port of Portland's Custom House and Collectors of Customs

The collector of Portland was the key to federal patronage in Maine, though other ports and towns had collectors. Through the 19th century, the revenue was the major source of Federal Government income. As in Colonial times, the person appointed to head the custom House in Casco Bay was almost always a leading community figure, or a well-connected political personage.

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - The Longfellow Era: 1807-1901

"He was the second of eight children born to Stephen and Zilpah Longfellow. At age 13 he published his first poem in the Portland Gazette, signing it…"

Of Note: Maine Sheet Music

Of Note: Maine Sheet Music features captivating covers of original sheet music along with stories about Maine connections to the songs. Before people had easy access to popular music from records, radios, and the internet, they played songs of the day on instruments at home, using sheet music purchased at music stores. Iconic Maine subjects like lobsters, pine trees, and winter were perfect for lyrics sung by luminaries like Rudy Vallée of Westbrook, and intricate artwork of Maine’s landscape graced the sheet music covers.

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Quenching the Thirst

"Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Craigie House, Cambridge, 1881NPS, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site Henry Wadsworth…"

Music in Maine - Country Music

"What really captivated me were the stories told (some true, some as if they were true), the way they rhymed, and the way the music—often…"

Music in Maine - Community Music

"They were always playing music in the house. I liked the Blues music more than the Jazz. In my youth I became a Rolling Stones fan."

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Politics and Enforcement

"… ppoverty, and I do not see how Christ can forgive me." Murphy soon became a powerful voice for temperance."

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Drinking: Elegance and Debauchery

"… in a respectable house was not the business for me to start as a young man desiring the best wishes of the best people." - John Martin X…"

Music in Maine - Opera, Orchestras and Stages

"Opera houses hosted lectures, plays, live music, and movies, with many hosting actual operas, such as The Merry Widow in Lewiston and Faust in…"

Music in Maine - Music Makers

"… diary, "Oh! My records! These new recordings make me happy. Schirmer’s machine is a joy, such tone-quality and such clarity!" Elise Fellows…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - A Call to Temperance

"… and only two years old...he catched her away from me and shook her furiously, dashed her down over a chair, and went out the door with an oath…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Drinking Implements

"… in the foundation of the museum's McLellan-Sweat House. X Decanter, 1785-1800 Ireland Blown glass, engraved Rum Courtesy of Arlene Palmer…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Taverns, People, and Scenes

"Running a licensed house was one of the few trades open to women and the tough-minded Mrs. Greele achieved legendary status by extinguishing her…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Influential & Interesting Documents

"X Abstract of the Laws Respecting Licensed Houses, Lincoln County, May 1803 Collections of Maine Historical Society Broadside 281 This remarkable…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Acknowledgements

"… and Ray Verrier Victoria Mansion Frances Willard House Museum and Archives (added items in 2023) York Institute Museum, Saco We would like to thank…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Business as Usual

"X Bangor House Joseph F. Hatch,1883 Oil on canvas Collections of Bangor Historical Society Maine's grand city hotel is said to have always served…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Neal Dow

"… crimes united from petty theiving to burglary, house burning, murder, piracy and rebellion inflict far less evil to the country than the vast…"

Music in Maine - Sacred Music

"… in Standish, likely the First Parish Meeting House, also called Old Red Church, built in 1804-1806."

From Sewers to Skylines: William S. Edwards's 1887 Photo Album

William S. Edwards (1830-1918) was a civil engineer who worked for the City of Portland from 1876-1906. Serving as First Assistant to Chief Engineer William A. Goodwin, then to Commissioner George N. Fernald, Edwards was a fixture in City Hall for 30 consecutive years, proving indispensable throughout the terms of 15 Mayors of Portland, including all six of those held by James Phineas Baxter. Edwards made significant contributions to Portland, was an outstanding mapmaker and planner, and his works continue to benefit historians.

Dressing Up, Standing Out, Fitting In

Adorning oneself to look one's "best" has varied over time, gender, economic class, and by event. Adornments suggest one's sense of identity and one's intent to stand out or fit in.