The Baxter Building is an historic building located at 619 Congress Street in downtown Portland, Maine. Completed in 1888, it served as the Portland Public Library from its founding until 1978, when the Library moved to another location on Congress Street. The building went unused from 1978 to 1983, when it was purchased by the Maine College of Art (MECA). MECA utilized the space for studio space, dark rooms, as a computer lab and library. In 2010, MECA sold the building to Northland Enterprises LLC, which then leased it to the VIA Group. [1]
The building was designed by local architect Francis H. Fassett. It was built in the Romanesque Revival style which was prominent during the mid-19th century. It was updated in 1928 by Portland architect John Calvin Stevens. [2] [3] In February 2010, the building was renovated based on designs from local firms Scott Simons Architects and Archetype Architects, which was partially funded through a $272,000 tax break from the City Council as well as through federal historical tax credits. [4] [5] [6]
Portland is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area has a population of approximately 550,000 people. Historically tied to commercial shipping, the marine economy, and light industry, Portland's economy in the 21st century relies mostly on the service sector. The Port of Portland is the second-largest tonnage seaport in the New England area as of 2019.
Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) is a private art school in Portland, Maine. Founded in 1882, Maine College of Art & Design is the oldest arts educational institution in Maine. Roughly 32% of MECA&D students are from Maine. The college is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. In August 2021, the instititution formerly named Maine College of Art changed its name to Maine College of Art & Design to reflect the school's emphasis on design.
Cushing Island, or Cushing's Island, is a privately owned island in Casco Bay in the U.S. state of Maine. Part of the city of Portland, roughly 45 families live there seasonally.
James J. Fitzpatrick Stadium is a 6,300-seat multi-purpose outdoor stadium in Portland, Maine, United States. Built in 1930, it sits between Interstate 295, Hadlock Field baseball stadium, King Middle School, and the Portland Exposition Building. It is located across Deering Avenue from Deering Oaks Park. It was renamed in 1989 to honor James J. Fitzpatrick, one of the most respected figures in Maine athletic history. It is the primary stadium for Portland High School athletics and the USL League One team Portland Hearts of Pine.
The Portland Press Herald is a daily newspaper based in South Portland, Maine, with a statewide readership. The Press Herald mainly serves southern Maine and is focused on the greater metropolitan area of Portland.
Exchange Street is a main commercial thoroughfare in the Old Port of Portland, Maine, United States. Originally laid out in 1724, today it features a number of designer clothing stores, as well as several small, locally owned businesses, including Sherman's Maine Coast Books. It runs, one-way, for around 0.24 miles (0.39 km), from Congress Street in the northwest to Fore Street in the southeast. Its main intersections are with Congress Street, Federal Street, Middle Street and Fore Street.
The Portland Museum of Art, or PMA, is the largest and oldest public art institution in Maine. Founded as the Portland Society of Art in 1882. It is located in the downtown area known as The Arts District in Portland, Maine.
Munjoy Hill is a neighborhood and prominent geographical feature of Portland, Maine. It is located east of downtown and south of East Deering. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the neighborhood had a large Irish and Italian American population.
Portland Public Library is the main library of the public library system in Portland, Maine, USA. It is located at 5 Monument Square on Congress Street in the Old Port of Portland, Maine. The library has three neighborhood branches, Burbank branch, Peaks Island branch, and Riverton branch.
The Old Port is a district of Portland, Maine, known for its cobblestone streets, 19th-century brick buildings and fishing piers. The district contains boutiques, restaurants and bars.
The Time and Temperature Building, originally known as the Chapman Building, and officially 477 Congress Street, is a 14-story office building on Congress Street in downtown Portland, Maine. The building, which replaced Preble House, is named after a large three-sided four-element eggcrate display screen on the roof that flashes the local time and temperature. It was built in 1924 as a 12-story building, with Maine's first indoor shopping center on its ground floor. It sits across Preble Street from the 10-story Fidelity Trust Building. Until the 1970s, these buildings were Portland's only skyscrapers.
The Maine Historical Society is the official historical society of the U.S. state of Maine. It is located at 489 Congress Street in downtown Portland. The Society currently operates the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, a National Historic Landmark, Longfellow Garden, the Maine Historical Society Museum and Store, the Brown Research Library, as well as the Maine Memory Network, an online database of documents and images that includes resources from many of state's local historical societies.
The Arts District is a section of downtown Portland, Maine’s designated in 1995 as to promote the cultural community and creative economy of the city. It covers a large part of upper Congress Street towards the West End and spans Congress Street toward the East ending at Portland City Hall and its Merrill Auditorium concert hall.
Portland, Maine, is home to many neighborhoods.
Monument Square is a town square in downtown Portland, Maine, about halfway between the East Bayside and Old Port neighborhoods. One Monument Square and One City Center are among the buildings on the square itself, while the Time and Temperature Building, Fidelity Trust Building and the main branch of the Portland Public Library are on Congress Street, across from the square.
Congress Street is the main street in Portland, Maine. Around 5.77 miles (9.29 km) long, it stretches from County Road, Portland's southwestern border with Westbrook, through a number of neighborhoods, before ending overlooking the Eastern Promenade on Munjoy Hill. In March 2009, the Portland City Council designated much of the inner portion of Congress Street a historic district. The western section of the street includes the city's Arts District.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Portland, Maine, USA.
The Baxter Memorial Library is the public library serving Gorham, Maine. It was built in 1908. The gift of James Phinney Baxter, the library building is constructed of pink granite and the interior is completed in red oak. In 2003, a 10,000 square feet (930 m2) addition became the primary library.
Forest Avenue is a major street in Portland, Maine, United States. It runs for around 4.78 miles (7.69 km), from Bridgton Road in the northwest to Congress Street, in downtown Portland, in the southeast. It is the main artery for traffic entering and leaving Portland to and from the west via city streets. Forest Avenue passes to the south of Back Cove, while Washington Avenue passes to its north. The street ends in Portland's Arts District.
The Press Herald Building is a historic building in Portland, Maine, built in 1923 and expanded in 1948. It is strategically located across Congress Street from Portland City Hall. It was occupied by the Portland Press Herald newspaper until 2010. In 2015, the renovated building reopened as the Press Hotel.