Back Cove is a neighborhood off of Portland's peninsula and downtown areas. The neighborhood is mostly residential with some commercial business located within Woodford's Corner and along Ocean Avenue. With views of the Portland skyline across Back Cove, the Back Cove neighborhood borders the neighborhoods of Deering Center, North Deering, East Deering, Rosemont, and Oakdale. Neighborhood boundaries are: Washington Avenue (north), Baxter Boulevard (east), Forest Avenue (south), and Canco Road (west).
Within the boundaries of the Back Cove neighborhood are Woodford's Corner, Ocean Avenue, Cheverus High School (a private Jesuit school), and Ocean Avenue School (a Portland Public Schools elementary school). Landscape architect Carl Rust Parker designed the Boulevard Park subdivision of 110 homes in 1912, while Baxter Boulevard was being constructed.[2] The neighborhood includes many historic homes. The John B. Russwurm House and the Sparrow House are located within the Back Cove neighborhood.
The Back Cove Trail is one of the oldest trails in Portland. It is 3.6 miles (5.8km) long and circles Bay Cove and connects to Payson Park, the Bayside Trail, and the East End Trail.[3] Payson Park is a 48 acres (19ha) park located within the neighborhood, with baseball and softball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, a playground, an ice skating rink, a sledding hill, ski and snowboarding park, a playground, a community garden, and the Longfellow Arboretum.[4] The small Barrows Park, Heseltine Park, and the George Street Cemetery are located within the Back Cove neighborhood.
Bayside is the downtown neighborhood located between Portland's Old Port and Back Cove. It is a mix of residential and commercial properties and old and modern architecture. The neighborhood is bounded by Forest Avenue, Interstate 295 (I-295), Congress Street, and Franklin Street.[5] It is bordered by the neighborhoods of Parkside, the Old Port, and East Bayside. It is represented by the Bayside Neighborhood Association. It is often confused with the East Bayside neighborhood, which is on the opposite side of Franklin Street.
Portland High School, whose original building that is the school's middle wing was built in 1863, and Baxter Academy, a charter high school with a STEM curriculum, are both located in the neighborhood, as is Merrill Auditorium. The state's only Whole Foods and Trader Joe's supermarkets are located in the Bayside neighborhood, on Somerset Street and Marginal Way, respectively. Notable buildings in the Bayside neighborhood include the Schlotterbeck and Foss Building, an historic Art Deco factory building built in 1927 and that is now apartments, and Franklin Towers, a high-rise apartment building constructed in 1969. Greater Portland Landmarks has documented that Bayside has some of the earliest homes in Portland, including Federal and Greek Revival homes, because most of the neighborhood was not burned in the Great Fire of 1866.[6] The City of Portland's former Public Works operation center in Bayside has been redeveloped to be a commercial center comprising restaurants, breweries, distilleries, exercise studios, a bowling alley, and many new apartment buildings.[7]
The Bayside Bowl bowling alley is located in the Bayside neighborhood next to the former Public Works operation and since 2014 it has been hosting the PBA League Elias Cup team competition. The PBA League said Bayside Bowl has rejuvenated its event.[8]
The Bayside Trail begins on Elm Street in the Bayside neighborhood. The trail goes across the Franklin Street divided throughway, through East Bayside, and connects to the East End Trail and the Back Cove Trail.[9] The Stone Street Playground is located in the neighborhood and is popular in the summertime because of the splash pad fountain and the proximity to the Old Port.[10] The neighborhood association rents plots in the community garden located on Chestnut Street across from the Daymark condominium building that was built in 2022.[11]
Deering Center is a neighborhood that runs from Brighton Avenue to Forest Avenue to Walton Street, then past Evergreen Cemetery, near Wayside Street on Ludlow Street. Formerly known as the town of Deering (named for Captain James Deering, horse farmer and early resident of Deering), which separated from Westbrook in 1871. It was incorporated into Portland as Deering Center on March 9, 1899.
Deering Highlands
Deering Highlands is a residential neighborhood on a hill generally bordered by Woodford Street to the north, Stevens Avenue to the west, Deering Street to the east, and the sloping hillside of streets in the same area, south of Brighton Avenue. The map on Barry & Anderson's Deering: A Social and Architectural History,[12] p.15, is ambiguous as to the neighborhood's precise borders.
Deering Highlands was developed in the late 19th century, and maintains much of its original historical character, including numerous examples of architecture by John Calvin Stevens, Frederick A Tompson, and other regional architects. Among Highlands' most notable historical residents was controversial U.S. senator Ralph Owen Brewster, who owned the house at 79 Highland Street.
The neighborhood is almost entirely residential, but the largest institutional feature of the Highlands is Maine Medical Center's Brighton Avenue Campus (formerly known as the Brighton Medical Center). The complex is now home of the New England Rehabilitation Hospital of Portland and also houses training facilities and an urgent care center.
East Deering is the city's easternmost neighborhood, which includes waterfront homes, residential neighborhoods, Payson Park and the future home of the Roux Institute. The area was annexed by Portland alongside other Deering neighborhoods. The first Europeans to settle in the area were farmers. Now a suburban and residential neighborhood, it is situated between Munjoy Hill and North Deering, as well as the town of Falmouth. East Deering has a mix of housing including public housing, privately-owned apartments, small single-family homes, and larger, more expensive single-family homes.
Businesses are located on Washington Avenue and Veranda Street, where there are restaurants, an ice cream shop, and a juice bar. Much of the neighborhood has views of Casco Bay and nearby Mackworth Island. Major landmarks in this neighborhood include Tukey's Bridge, the B&M Baked Beans factory, Martin's Point, Presumpscot School, Grand Trunk Cemetery, Payson Park, and Lunts Corner.[13] In 2021, the Roux Institute purchased the B&M factory in order to convert it into a campus with academic buildings, student housing, a hotel, and public waterfront access.[14]
East Deering was bisected by I-295 in the 1960s. The major throughways in East Deering are Washington Avenue and Veranda Street. Martin's Point Bridge connects East Deering to Falmouth.
East Bayside
A view over part of Deering Oaks in Parkside with Bayside, then East Bayside, then the East End, then Munjoy Hill beyond and with Back Cove to the left.
East Bayside is bordered by Franklin Street on the west, Washington Avenue on the east, to the north by Marginal Way, and the south by Congress Street.[15] It is bordered by the neighborhoods of Bayside, the Old Port and Munjoy Hill. It was first developed a street network in the early 19th century. By the 1820s, the area was Portland's second seaport via the Back Cove's ship channel. Much of the debris from the Portland fire of 1866 was deposited into Back Cove, significantly increasing the size of East Bayside. Maps produced around 1900 show an extension of the shoreline out to Marginal Way. The shoreline did not change again until the construction of the interstate in 1974. East Bayside is often confused with Bayside, which is the neighborhood on the opposite side of Franklin Street. East Bayside is represented by the East Bayside Neighborhood Organization.[16]
The Portland Observatory, built in 1807, sits atop Munjoy Hill
The East End is a neighborhood on the far eastern end of Portland's peninsula. It is closely linked with Munjoy Hill and the Eastern Promenade. The East End Community School, located on North Street, serves the area.[17] The East End Beach is also located there. Notable buildings include the Portland Observatory at the top of Munjoy Hill.
Libbytown[18] is a neighborhood in southern and western Portland, wedged between the Stroudwater, Rosemont, Oakdale, and Parkside neighborhoods, and separated from the city of South Portland by the Fore River.[19] Maine's busiest public transit hub, the Portland Transportation Center, is in Libbytown.
Nasons Corner
The area around outer Brighton Avenue is Nasons Corner. While part of the independent town of Deering in the 1890s, the area was primarily agricultural, with acres of strawberries and fields of hay. Capisic Brook runs through part of the neighborhood, and its banks were home to the Lucas and Hamblet family-run brickyards, which were sold throughout New England. In 1898, Nasons Corner and the rest of Deering was annexed by the City of Portland. The earliest housing developments in the neighborhood were built beginning around that time and were called Brighton Avenue Terrace and Portland Garden (now Holm Street and Taft Street). The Glenwood project was underway by 1900. It included affordable bungalow style homes named for English counties (Devon, Dorset, Essex, Kent, and Warwick). The Glenwood Baptist Church was built by the 1950s. The park will be part of a greening effort to restore its intended use as a "Learning Environment" by building new natural play scapes. A partnership between the City of Portland, the Nason's Corner Neighborhood Association, Breakwater School and Portland Trails. They broke ground on October 29, 2013, and should be completed by the fall of 2014.[20]
During World War II, many rural Mainers moved to Portland due to labor shortages in the booming defense industry based around Portland harbor. In 1943, Sagamore Village was built to ease the housing shortage. It was owned and operated by the federal government until 1953. It was a multiracial and multiethnic community, which was unique for many of the residents. Following the end of the war, the federal government sought to sell housing developments like Sagamore and Redbank in neighboring South Portland. Initially, the city council rebuffed calls to purchase the housing development but in 1950, it reversed its position due to public pressure and purchased the housing complex. It was opened for low-income individuals.[21]
North Deering is the northernmost neighborhood of the city. It is situated between the Riverton and East Deering neighborhoods of the city, as well as bordering the town of Falmouth. It is home to some of the oldest surviving houses in the city, because the neighborhood was spared all of the four fires that plagued much of the rest of the city in the past. In North Deering's early history, it had an agriculture- and lumber-based economy, but with the spread of the automobile, North Deering became more economically connected to the rest of the city. Today, it a bustling suburban neighborhood with some long-standing retail activity. It is home to WGME, Portland's local CBS affiliate. The Presumpscot River Preserve, a 48-acre (19ha) nature preserve, is located in North Deering. It was purchased and preserved in 2001 by the Land for Maine Future program as well as the City Land Bank Commission and Portland Trails.[22]
It is served by Harrison Lyseth Elementary School and Lyman Moore Middle School (which also serves the East Deering and Munjoy Hill neighborhoods). Prospective North Deering High School students can also choose between attending Portland High School, Deering High School, or Casco Bay High School, all three of which serve the entire city.
Oakdale
Oakdale is a primarily residential university neighborhood. It consists mostly of owner-occupied homes, a few businesses, and the Portland campus of the University of Southern Maine.[23] All the neighborhood is within walking distance of the university. The neighborhood is bounded by Ashmont Street, Devonshire Street, St. John Street, I-295, and Baxter Boulevard. Oakdale's residents are part of the Woodfords-Oakdale Neighborhood Association.[24]
The neighborhood includes the Southworth Planetarium, the Sullivan Athletic Complex, and the Glickman Library. Parks in the neighborhood include Baxter Boulevard, Longfellow Park, Noyes Park, and Fessenden Park. The Deering Avenue bridge connects the neighborhood to the neighboring Deering Oaks and the city's athletic complex of Fitzpatrick Stadium, Hadlock Field, Portland Expo, and Troubh Ice Arena. Commercial businesses are mainly located along Forest Avenue.
The historic Nathan Clifford School, built in 1907, was the neighborhood school until it was closed in 2011 and replaced by the Ocean Avenue Elementary School. In 2013, the city sold the Nathan Clifford School for $1 to the Developers Collaborative. It was supposed to primarily include "high-density affordable housing", but instead the developers "remodeled the building to create 22 market-rate apartments."[25] On January 27, 2014, the former schoolhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[26]
The Old Port (sometimes known as the Old Port Exchange) is a neighborhood known for its cobblestone streets, 19th-century brick buildings and fishing piers. The district is filled with boutiques, restaurants and bars. Because of its reputation for nightlife, the Old Port is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. It is bordered by the neighborhoods of Bayside, East Bayside, Munjoy Hill and the West End.
Parkside
Deering Oaks pond overlooking Parkside.Parkside's Sacred Heart Church was constructed between 1896 and 1915. It sits on the corner of Mellen and Grant Streets. Besides religious services, it serves as a hub for social services and aid in the neighborhood.
Parkside neighborhood, located at the base of the Portland peninsula, is bordered by I-295 on the far side of Deering Oaks, Forest Avenue on the East, Congress Street on the south, and Weymouth Street on the west.[27] Parkside borders the neighborhoods of West End. Bayside and Libbytown. Herbert Adams, a local historian, resides in and represented the district in the Maine House of Representatives. The neighborhood began following the 1866 fire, when most of Portland's waterfront and downtown were burned. Residents moved south across the peninsula and laid out Sherman Avenue and Grant Avenue (now streets), named after Civil War generals William Tecumseh Sherman and future President Ulysses S. Grant. The homes in the neighborhood are primarily triple-decker buildings and soon after its founding became home to much of Portland's Italian and Irish immigrant populations. The neighborhood was previously known for rampant drug use and prostitution.[28]
Peaks Island is the most populous island in Casco Bay, and is part of the city of Portland. It is approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) from downtown. The island is served by Casco Bay Lines and has its own elementary school, library, and police station. It is the only island in Casco Bay that allows cars, due to its size.
Rosemont is a neighborhood located close to Deering Center and other off-peninsula neighborhoods. Longfellow Elementary School, Lincoln Middle School and Deering High School are located here. The local branch library, Burbank Library, is one of the highest circulating libraries in Maine. Capisic Pond, an important recreational site, is located here.[35]
Saint John Valley
The Saint John Valley Neighborhood is located between the West End and Libbytown neighborhoods, bordered by the Parkside Neighborhood and the Fore River.
Northern Boundary: Interstate 295
Eastern Boundary: The Western Promenade, including the Maine Medical Center Campus; Congress Street, and Weymouth Street continuing along the north side of Hadlock Field to I-295
Western Boundary: Along the Fore River from Veterans Bridge to I-295
Southern Boundary: The intersection of Valley Street, Veterans Bridge, and Commercial Street
The Saint John Valley Neighborhood Association was created in 2008 in an effort to define an area of the city that lacked funding and recognition. Since its inception, many improvements have been made and more are planned, such as traffic calming, beautification, and over-all streetscaping to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment. The area north of I-295 and south of St. John Street is claimed by both The Saint John Valley and Libbytown Neighborhood Associations.
Stroudwater
Stroudwater is located in the southwest corner of Portland, bordered by the Nasons Corner and Libbytown neighborhoods to the north and east, the city of Westbrook to the west, and the city of South Portland to the south.[19] Maine's busiest airport, the Portland International Jetport, originally known as Stroudwater Field, is located here. Stroudwater is home to a number of historic structures, including the oldest standing publicly accessible building in Portland, the Tate House and Museum, which was built in 1755. The James Forder house, built in Stroudwater in 1730 at 1235 Westbrook Street, is recognized as the oldest house in Portland. The Stroudwater Historic District is also located here. It is home to the mouth of the Stroudwater River.
Stroudwater was founded as a hamlet which, with power generated by the Stroudwater River and Fore Rivers, was an important producer of masts for the Royal Navy. In the 2000s, Stroudwater was considered a quiet suburb of downtown Portland, though it is still officially within the city boundaries.[36]
West End
Maine Medical Center is a major institution located in the West End.
Portland is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the 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.
Westbrook is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States and a suburb of Portland. The population was 20,400 at the 2020 census, making it the fastest-growing city in Maine between 2010 and 2020. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.
Munjoy Hill is a neighborhood and prominent geographical feature of Portland, Maine. It is located east of downtown and south of East Deering, the neighborhood via Tukey's Bridge. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the neighborhood had a large Irish and Italian American population.
The Presumpscot River is a 25.8-mile-long (41.5 km) river located in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. It is the main outlet of Sebago Lake. The river provided an early transportation corridor with reliable water power for industrial development of the city of Westbrook and the village of South Windham.
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.
East Bayside is a neighborhood in Portland, Maine. It is bordered by Franklin Street on the west, Washington Avenue on the east, to the north by Marginal Way, and the south by Congress Street. It is bordered by the neighborhoods of Bayside, the Old Port and Munjoy Hill. It is often confused with the Bayside neighborhood, which is on the opposite side of Franklin Street.
Tukey's Bridge is a bridge connecting the neighborhoods of Munjoy Hill and East Deering in Portland, Maine. It is part of Interstate 295, U.S. Route 1, and Washington Avenue.
Portland, Maine, held an election for mayor on November 8, 2011.
Franklin Street is a four-lane street in Portland, Maine, United States. It is a major corridor for traffic from Interstate 295 to Portland's downtown, Old Port, and to other neighborhoods located on the Portland peninsula. Part of U.S. Route 1A, it is around 0.77 miles (1.24 km) long, running between Marginal Way in the northwest and Commercial Street in the southeast.
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.
Stroudwater Historic District is a historic district in the Stroudwater neighborhood of Portland, Maine. The district encompasses an important early village in the Portland area, significant as a shipbuilding and mill site established by Thomas Westbrook in 1727. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Libbytown is a neighborhood in Portland, Maine, United States. One of the oldest neighborhoods in the city, it is located between the Stroudwater, Rosemont, Oakdale, and Parkside neighborhoods, and is separated from the city of South Portland by the Fore River. It extends to the intersection of Stevens Avenue and Congress Street.
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.
Portland, Maine, held an election for mayor on November 5, 2019. It was the third election to be held since Portland voters approved a citywide referendum changing the city charter to recreate an elected mayor position in 2010.
Cumberland Avenue is a downtown street in Portland, Maine, United States. Part of Maine State Route 100, it runs for around 1.57 miles (2.53 km) from Merrill Street, on Munjoy Hill, in the northeast, to Deering Avenue in the southwest.
Fore Street is a downtown street in Portland, Maine, United States. Dating to 1724, it runs for around 1 mile (1.6 km), from the Eastern Promenade on Munjoy Hill in the northeast to Pleasant Street in the southwest. Near its midsection, Fore Street crosses Franklin Street. It splits briefly at Boothby Square, shortly after passing the United States Custom House. The street passes through the Old Port district.
Woodfords Corner is a neighborhood and major intersection in Portland, Maine, United States. Centered around the intersections of Forest Avenue and Woodford Street, it is named for brothers Chauncey, Ebenezer and Isaiah Woodford, merchants from Connecticut who settled in the area.
India Street is a downtown street and neighborhood in Portland, Maine, United States. Situated near the western foot of Munjoy Hill, it runs for around 0.28 miles (0.45 km), from Congress Street in the northwest to Commercial Street and Thames Street in the southeast. It was the city's first street, and the location of the first settlement of European immigrants to the city in the 17th century. There are thirty handmade bricks in the sidewalk commemorating the neighborhood's notable events. In 1680, when Thomas Danforth was Deputy Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the street was known as Broad Street. After the incorporation of the Town of Falmouth in 1718, the street was known as High King Street.
Washington Avenue is a major street in Portland, Maine, United States. It runs for around 5.25 miles (8.45 km), from Auburn Street in the northwest to Congress Street in the southeast. It continues in parallel with Interstate 295 as it crosses Tukey's Bridge between exits 8 and 9. It is the main artery for traffic entering and leaving Portland to and from the north via city streets, and has been described as a "gateway to the Portland peninsula." Washington Avenue passes to the north of Back Cove, while Forest Avenue passes to its south.
Portland Railroad Company (PRR) was a trolleycar service that operated in Portland, Maine, between 1860 and 1941.
↑ Barry, William David; Anderson, Patricia McGraw (2010). Susan L. Ransom (ed.). Deering: A Social and Architectural History. Margaret W. Soule. Portland, Maine: Greater Portland Landmarks. p.114. ISBN978-0-939761-14-2.
↑ Barry, William David; Anderson, Patricia McGraw (2010). Susan L. Ransom (ed.). Deering: A Social and Architectural History. Margaret W. Soule. Portland, Maine: Greater Portland Landmarks. pp.191–194. ISBN978-0-939761-14-2.
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