| Old City Hall | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Portland, Maine |
| Coordinates | 43°39′27″N70°15′32″W / 43.65738°N 70.25891°W |
| Built | 1833 |
| Demolished | 1888 |
  Shown in Maine | |
The Old City Hall of Portland, Maine, was located in what was then known as Market Square or Haymarket Square (Monument Square today) between 1833 and 1888, when it was demolished. In 1862, it was replaced by an earlier version of the City Hall located today on Congress Street, a short distance northeast of the original location.
The Town of Portland built its Market House in Market (or Haymarket) Square 1825. [1] [2] [3] The first floor in the building's early years housed stalls used by farmers to sell agricultural products. [1] Also known as Military Hall, [1] the building's simple gable appearance was modified in 1833, to plans made the previous year by Charles Quincy Clapp. Clapp updated the building to the Greek Revival style by removing the cupola from the roof and adding a portico to the front. [2] The cupola was reinstalled on the Universalist school house (now Alumni Hall on the University of New England campus) [4] in Portland's Deering neighborhood. [5]
The new building was the site of the 1855 Portland Rum Riot, which involved mayor Neal Dow and led to one death. [1] It was replaced by a new city hall in 1862 on Congress Street at the head of Exchange Street. [6] The old city hall was demolished in 1888 and replaced by the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, at which time Market Square was renamed Monument Square. [7]
Between 1866 and 1868, the old city hall building was brought into use as such again, after the first iteration of the Congress Street building burned in the fire of 1866. [8]
The United States Hotel, built in 1803, stood behind both iterations of the building. [9] [10] [11]
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.
The Portland Observatory is a historic maritime signal tower at 138 Congress Street in the Munjoy Hill section of Portland, Maine. Built in 1807, it is the only known surviving tower of its type in the United States. Using both a telescope and signal flags, two-way communication between ship and shore was possible several hours before an incoming vessel reached the docks. The tower was designated a National Historic Landmark and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 2006; it is now managed by Greater Portland Landmarks, a local historic preservation nonprofit. It is open to the public as a museum.
Alexander Parris was a prominent American architect-engineer. Beginning as a housewright, he evolved into an architect whose work transitioned from Federal style architecture to the later Greek Revival. Parris taught Ammi B. Young, and was among the group of architects influential in founding what would become the American Institute of Architects. He is also responsible for the designs of many lighthouses along the coastal Northeastern United States.
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.
Portland City Hall is the center of city government in Portland, Maine. The fourth city hall built in Portland, it is located at 389 Congress Street, on a prominent rise, anchoring a cluster of civic buildings at the eastern end of Portland's downtown. The structure was built between 1909 and 1912 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
The United States Custom House is a historic custom house at 312 Fore Street in downtown Portland, Maine. It was built from 1867–1872 to house offices of the United States Customs Service, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
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 Charles Q. Clapp Block is a historic commercial building in Congress Square in downtown Portland, Maine. It occupies a prominent triangular site at the intersections of Congress, High and Free Streets. Built in 1826, to a design by prominent local architect and merchant Charles Q. Clapp, it is one of the oldest commercial buildings in Portland.
Asa Clapp was an American merchant and politician.
Charles Quincy Clapp was an American merchant and architect in Portland, Maine. He was active in the first half of the 19th century.
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.
Portland station was a passenger rail station on the Grand Trunk Railway in Portland, Maine, United States. It stood to at the foot of India Street, Portland's first street, between 1903 and 1966. It was one of Portland's four railroad stations for the Portland and Forest Avenue Railroad Company over its history, and one of the two stations in the city at the time of the station's construction. The other was Union Station, which has also been demolished.
Federal Street is a historic downtown street in Portland, Maine, United States. It runs for around 0.56 miles (0.90 km), from Monument Square, in the southwest to Mountfort Street, at the foot of Munjoy Hill, in the northeast. Its middle section was wiped out by the widening of Franklin Street in 1967.
The United States Hotel was a hotel in Portland, Maine. At the time of its closure, in 1900, it was one of the oldest hotels in the city, having been in business for 97 years. The hotel stood on Federal Street, behind Market House, in what was then known as Haymarket Square. Built in 1803 as the Washington Hall Hotel, it was later renamed the Cumberland Hotel. It was renamed again, around 1829, to the Portland House, then the Cumberland House in 1835.
The Market House of Portland, Maine, was located in what was then known as Market Square or Haymarket Square between 1825 and 1888, when it was demolished. In 1833, the building was modified to become Portland's first city hall. The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, which now stands in its place, was dedicated in 1891.
