Maine Memory Network

Lock of George Washington's Hair

Correspondence between Elizabeth Wadsworth, her father Peleg Wadsworth and Martha Washington's secretary about the gift of a lock of George Washington's hair to Eliza.

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.

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.

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.

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 Wadsworth Era: 1786-1807

"… Elizabeth Wadsworth (1779-1802) Elizabeth (Eliza) Wadsworth was the second daughter of Peleg and Elizabeth Wadsworth."

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

"This site explores the history of the Wadsworth and Longfellow families who, from 1785 to 1901, inhabited the the house Peleg Wadsworth built, and…"

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 - Streetscape, 1790-1930

"In 1870: X By 1870, the buildings on each side of the Wadsworth-Longfellow house had grown. The Morton Block was remodeled in 1866, with a third…"

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.

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

"… Your Home Every House has a History Peleg Wadsworth deed of land to Stephen Longfellow, Portland, 1827Maine Historical Society Every…"

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

"… rebuilding the garden wall along the original Wadsworth property line, workers noticed broken glass and ceramics in the soil."

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

"… anchor in the peaceful haven of home." – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to his parents, 1826 When Peleg and Elizabeth Bartlett Wadsworth built their…"

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

"He then moved his law office to the house. Lucia Wadsworth (1783-1864) Lucia Wadsworth was the sister of Zilpah Longfellow."

Northern Threads: Mourning Fashions

A themed exhibit vignette within "Northern Threads Part I," featuring 18th and 19th century mourning jewelry and fashions.

Prisoners of War

Mainers have been held prisoners in conflicts fought on Maine and American soil and in those fought overseas. In addition, enemy prisoners from several wars have been brought to Maine soil for the duration of the war.

Northern Threads: Civil War-era clothing

An exhibit vignette within "Northern Threads, Part 1," featuring American Civil War civilian and military clothing, 1860 to 1869.

Music in Maine - Longfellow Family Music

"… Society Born in Portland in 1807, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow spent his childhood in the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, nurtured by family…"

Northern Threads: Silhouettes in Sequence, ca. 1780-1889

A themed exhibit vignette within "Northern Threads Part I," featuring a timeline of silhouettes from about 1775 through 1889.

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

"Census, Timeline Pages from the manuscript United States census, taken every 10 years, show the changing nature of the Longfellow household -- and…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Quenching the Thirst

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