Maine Memory Network

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.

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.

Picturing Henry

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's popularity in the 19th century is reflected by the number of images of him -- in a variety of media -- that were produced and reproduced, some to go with published works of his, but many to be sold to the public on cards and postcards.

Music in Maine - Longfellow Family Music

"… I Have Saved Thee, and Hark! The Goddess Diana. Longfellow instruments Longfellow estate accounting, Portland, 1836Maine Historical Society…"

People, Pets & Portraits

Informal family photos often include family pets -- but formal, studio portraits and paintings also often feature one person and one pet, in formal attire and pose.

Liberty Threatened: Maine in 1775

At Lexington and Concord, on April 19, 1775, British troops attempted to destroy munitions stored by American colonists. The battles were the opening salvos of the American Revolution. Shortly, the conflict would erupt in Maine.

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.

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - People of the Wadsworth-Longfellow House

"People of the Wadsworth-Longfellow House Wadsworth-Longfellow House, Portland, ca. 1880Maine Historical Society Only two families occupied the…"

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

"1855NPS, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow (1814-1901) Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow…"

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland

"… visiting here on frequent intervals." -- Anne Longfellow Pierce from the Lewiston Journal, 1893 Wadsworth-Longfellow House Nearly HiddenMaine…"

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - Streetscape, 1790-1930

"The first two floored remained the same. The Longfellow barn had caught fire in 1852. Alexander W. Longfellow disassembled it and moved it to…"

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - Census, Timeline

"… every 10 years, show the changing nature of the Longfellow household -- and the changing nature of the neighborhood and city surrounding the house…"

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - Researching Your Home

"… Peleg Wadsworth deed of land to Stephen Longfellow, Portland, 1827Maine Historical Society Every building has a history."

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - The Privy

"… the mid 19th century neighborhood surrounding the Longfellow house. Brown, Preble block, Portland, 1877Maine Historical Society John Corey, a…"

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - The House, 1786-1960

"View slideshow: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House, 1786-1960 The images in the accompanying slideshow show the evolution of the Wadsworth-Longfellow…"

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - The Wadsworth Era: 1786-1807

"Her grandson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, later wrote a famous poem about his Pilgrim ancestors. Elizabeth ran the Portland household."

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Quenching the Thirst

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

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.

George F. Shepley: Lawyer, Soldier, Administrator

George F. Shepley of Portland had achieved renown as a lawyer and as U.S. Attorney for Maine when, at age 42 he formed the 12th Maine Infantry and went off to war. Shepley became military governor of Louisiana early in 1862 and remained in the military for the duration of the war.

Samplers: Learning to Sew

Settlers' clothing had to be durable and practical to hold up against hard work and winters. From the 1700s to the mid 1800s, the women of Maine learned to sew by making samplers.

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Overview & Introduction

"Overview & Introduction Cache of liquor, Portland, 1920Maine Historical Society/MaineToday Media Maine played a central role in the United…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Why Study the History of Drinking?

"Why Study the History of Drinking? The history of drinking in Maine and America is rich and complex."

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Temperance Membership

"… Temperance Membership Back to: 1820 to 1865: Temperance and the Maine Law "The results of our agitation will be the expulsion from all the…"