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.

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.

The Kotzschmar Memorial Organ

A fire and two men whose lives were entwined for more than 50 years resulted in what is now considered to be "the Jewel of Portland" -- the Austin organ that was given to the city of Portland in 1912.

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

"1, Portland, 1846Maine Historical Society Casco Fire Company, ca. 1849 Middle Street near Exchange Daguerreotype Collections of Maine Historical…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Neal Dow

"… by the mob and after a warning, the militia fired into the crowd, wounding several and killing John Robbins of Deer Isle."

Rum, Riot, and Reform - 1820 to 1865: Temperance and the Maine Law

"… threatened in 1855 when he ordered the militia to fire on civilians as they descended upon Portland's City Hall, looking for a stash of liquor they…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Business as Usual

"… Brewery Courtesy of Will Anderson and The Great State of Maine Beer Book X Portland City Directory 1903 Collections of Maine Historical…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Acknowledgements

"… Village Peabody Essex Museum Pingree Family Portland Museum of Art Portland Public Library Madelyn Provancher Rumford Historical Society Saint…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Drinking Implements

"… Implements Back to: 1620 to 1820: New England's Great Secret X Scamman Jug, 1689-1702 Germany, Westerwald District Salt-glazed stoneware…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Influential & Interesting Documents

"… Documents Back to: 1620 to 1820: New England's Great Secret X The Drunkard's Looking Glass, ca."

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

"… and Scenes Back to: 1620 to 1820: New England's Great Secret X Darby and Joan, ca. 1840 Attributed to William Matthew Prior (1806-1873)…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Women Leaders and Temperance

"Home of Mrs. Lillian M.W. Stevens, Portland, ca. 1910Greater Portland Landmarks Home of Lillian M. N. Stevens Postcard, ca."

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Overview & Introduction

"… to reform the abuse of alcohol was one of the great moral and social controversies of the 19th and early 20th centuries."

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Reform and Repeal

"Sign Early 20th century Courtesy of The Great Lost Bear, Portland This impassioned sign summarizes the attitude and goals of the Prohibition movement."

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Society Copes

"… Orono by Lincoln Colcord and Adelbert Sprague the great drinking song reached national popularity in 1929-30 when Maine's own Rudy Vallee's…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - 1620 to 1820: New England's Great Secret

"1620 to 1820: New England's Great Secret Tavern sign, Raymond, ca. 1850Maine Historical Society The Coming of Drink to New England (1620–1820)…"

A Snapshot of Portland, 1924: The Taxman Cometh

In 1924, with Portland was on the verge of profound changes, the Tax Assessors Office undertook a project to document every building in the city -- with photographs and detailed information that provide a unique view into Portland's architecture, neighborhoods, industries, and businesses.

Hermann Kotzschmar: Portland's Musical Genius

During the second half of the 19th century, "Hermann Kotzschmar" was a familiar household name in Portland. He spent 59 years in his adopted city as a teacher, choral conductor, concert artist, and church organist.

Most Inconvenient Storm

A Portland newspaper wrote about an ice storm of January 28, 1886 saying, "The city of Portland was visited yesterday by the most inconvenient storm of the season."

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.

Great War and Armistice Day

In 1954, November 11 became known as Veterans Day, a time to honor American veterans of all wars. The holiday originated, however, as a way to memorialize the end of World War I, November 11, 1918, and to "perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations." Mainers were involved in World War I as soldiers, nurses, and workers on the homefront aiding the military effort.

Fallen Heroes: Jewish Soldiers and Sailors, The Great War

Thirty-four young Jewish men from Maine died in the service of their country in the two World Wars. This project, including a Maine Memory Network exhibit, is meant to say a little something about some of them. More than just names on a public memorial marker or grave stone, these men were getting started in adult life. They had newly acquired high school and college diplomas, they had friends, families and communities who loved and valued them, and felt the losses of their deaths.

A City Awakes: Arts and Artisans of Early 19th Century Portland

Portland's growth from 1786 to 1860 spawned a unique social and cultural environment and fostered artistic opportunity and creative expression in a broad range of the arts, which flowered with the increasing wealth and opportunity in the city.

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.