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Log inHistoric Portland on foot
Historic Portland on foot
by Outspoken on Sun Jun 29, 2008 7:05 am
Historic Portland on foot
Take a walking tour through downtown's oldest (and most famous) landmarks.
By CAROLYN FERNALD
For the Maine Sunday Telegram
Anyone who wonders how Mainers make it through the winter has probably never experienced the splendor of a Maine summer. Now that summer is finally here, warmer days give you an opportunity to stretch your legs and visit some sites in downtown Portland that will give you insight into the history of the city and state.
This walking tour of historic sites starts at the Maine Historical Society, winds through the Arts District, the Old Port, the working waterfront and the Eastern Promenade, and ends at the Portland Observatory atop Munjoy Hill.
MAINE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM
The information contained within the Maine Historical Society's one-acre campus at 489 Congress St. could keep a history buff busy indefinitely. For this day walk, though, you will only have time for an overview of the museum and research library.
A new exhibit, "Folk Art in Maine," opened Friday and will run through December. The exhibit features important cultural icons of Maine people from the past 300 years, including quilts, rugs, carvings and portraits.
For a piece of national history, visit the research library for a peek at the Declaration of Independence, one of 25 original copies printed on July 4, 1776. The library is closed for reconstruction, but its contents have been temporarily relocated to 510 Congress St. and may be viewed there.
Admission to the Maine Historical Society Museum is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and students and $2 for children, and are waived with admission to the Wadsworth-Longfellow House (see below). Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The first visit to the library is free, while subsequent visits cost $10. Maine Historical Society members do not pay admission. Library hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
WADSWORTH-LONGFELLOW HOUSE
Although part of the Maine Historical Society campus, the Wadsworth-Longfellow House deserves special attention as the childhood home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and a national Historic Landmark.
Longfellow's grandfather, Gen. Peleg Wadsworth, began construction on the home in 1785, and it is the oldest structure standing today on Portland's peninsula. The home is outfitted with furniture and household items that decorated the home during the 115 years members of the Wadsworth and Longfellow families lived there.
The home was deeded to the Maine Historical Society in 1895 as a memorial to one of America's most acclaimed poets and his family. It's open to the public 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
From the Maine Historical Society campus, go west on Congress to Park Street. Turn left on Park Street to Danforth Street. Our next stop on the walking tour is on your left.
VICTORIA MANSION
Located at 109 Danforth St., the Victoria Mansion offers a view of pre-Civil War life among America's most elite citizens.
Built by hotelier Ruggles Sylvester Morse, the home was a marvel of modern technology at the time, featuring such new comforts as central heating, gas lighting, temperature-controlled water and a servant call system. The residence was also the first known commission by interior designer Gustave Herter, founder of the New York design firm Herter Brothers. It is the only known Herter design in existence today.
The mansion was turned into a museum in 1941 after it was saved from demolition by William Holmes, a retired teacher.
Admission is $12.50 for adults, $11 for seniors, $3 for students ages 6 to 17, and free for children under 6. The cost includes a tour, given twice hourly. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
From the Victoria Mansion, head east on Danforth Street to Fore Street. Follow Fore until you make a right on Union Street, then make an immediate left on Wharf Street, a cobbled brick road that will take you back to a time when the Old Port was filled with sailors on shore leave and merchants who orchestrated the loading and unloading of vessels in Portland's busy harbor.
At the end of Wharf Street, make a right and follow Moulton Street to Commercial. Stop and have a bite to eat along Portland's working waterfront, because you still have plenty of sites to see on your tour.
More here: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=196729&ac=PHnws
File Photos
Take a walking tour through downtown's oldest (and most famous) landmarks.
By CAROLYN FERNALD
For the Maine Sunday Telegram
Anyone who wonders how Mainers make it through the winter has probably never experienced the splendor of a Maine summer. Now that summer is finally here, warmer days give you an opportunity to stretch your legs and visit some sites in downtown Portland that will give you insight into the history of the city and state.
This walking tour of historic sites starts at the Maine Historical Society, winds through the Arts District, the Old Port, the working waterfront and the Eastern Promenade, and ends at the Portland Observatory atop Munjoy Hill.
MAINE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM
The information contained within the Maine Historical Society's one-acre campus at 489 Congress St. could keep a history buff busy indefinitely. For this day walk, though, you will only have time for an overview of the museum and research library.
A new exhibit, "Folk Art in Maine," opened Friday and will run through December. The exhibit features important cultural icons of Maine people from the past 300 years, including quilts, rugs, carvings and portraits.
For a piece of national history, visit the research library for a peek at the Declaration of Independence, one of 25 original copies printed on July 4, 1776. The library is closed for reconstruction, but its contents have been temporarily relocated to 510 Congress St. and may be viewed there.
Admission to the Maine Historical Society Museum is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and students and $2 for children, and are waived with admission to the Wadsworth-Longfellow House (see below). Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The first visit to the library is free, while subsequent visits cost $10. Maine Historical Society members do not pay admission. Library hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
WADSWORTH-LONGFELLOW HOUSE
Although part of the Maine Historical Society campus, the Wadsworth-Longfellow House deserves special attention as the childhood home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and a national Historic Landmark.
Longfellow's grandfather, Gen. Peleg Wadsworth, began construction on the home in 1785, and it is the oldest structure standing today on Portland's peninsula. The home is outfitted with furniture and household items that decorated the home during the 115 years members of the Wadsworth and Longfellow families lived there.
The home was deeded to the Maine Historical Society in 1895 as a memorial to one of America's most acclaimed poets and his family. It's open to the public 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
From the Maine Historical Society campus, go west on Congress to Park Street. Turn left on Park Street to Danforth Street. Our next stop on the walking tour is on your left.
VICTORIA MANSION
Located at 109 Danforth St., the Victoria Mansion offers a view of pre-Civil War life among America's most elite citizens.
Built by hotelier Ruggles Sylvester Morse, the home was a marvel of modern technology at the time, featuring such new comforts as central heating, gas lighting, temperature-controlled water and a servant call system. The residence was also the first known commission by interior designer Gustave Herter, founder of the New York design firm Herter Brothers. It is the only known Herter design in existence today.
The mansion was turned into a museum in 1941 after it was saved from demolition by William Holmes, a retired teacher.
Admission is $12.50 for adults, $11 for seniors, $3 for students ages 6 to 17, and free for children under 6. The cost includes a tour, given twice hourly. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
From the Victoria Mansion, head east on Danforth Street to Fore Street. Follow Fore until you make a right on Union Street, then make an immediate left on Wharf Street, a cobbled brick road that will take you back to a time when the Old Port was filled with sailors on shore leave and merchants who orchestrated the loading and unloading of vessels in Portland's busy harbor.
At the end of Wharf Street, make a right and follow Moulton Street to Commercial. Stop and have a bite to eat along Portland's working waterfront, because you still have plenty of sites to see on your tour.
More here: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=196729&ac=PHnws
File Photos
"Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything."
Plato (427-347 BC)
Plato (427-347 BC)
