Exploring Portland’s past

WRITTEN BY RICHARD SHAW

The past and the present co-exist in Portland. Historical attractions include the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad, Portland Museum of Art, Maine Jewish Museum, and the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine. There is even an International Cryptozoology Museum, and an Umbrella Cover Museum, just a ferry ride away on Peaks Island. Here are five more places to explore. Check websites for hours and admission fees.

WADSWORTH-LONGFELLOW HOUSE 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow spent his youth and early adulthood in this home, one of New England’s most visited museums. Built in 1785-1786 for Gen. Peleg Wadsworth and Elizabeth Bartlett, the poet’s maternal grandparents, it is the oldest brick structure on the Portland peninsula and a survivor of downtown urban development.

The museum at 489 Congress St. hosts seasonal activities. Plus, the Maine Historical Society next door, which owns the property, is featuring Notorious: Maine Crime in the Public Eye, an exhibit chronicling such cases as Bangor’s 1937 Brady Gang shootout, as well as a colorful display exploring the state’s 19th century quilting traditions.

VICTORIA MANSION

Lavish living in 19th century America is represented in this impressive 1860 Italianate brownstone mansion, a public museum since 1941. Visitors to the 109 Danforth St. landmark are often astonished by its opulent furnishings and elaborate design, including a painted plaster ceiling and carpeted staircase straight out of “Gone With the Wind.”  

The Morse-Libby House was built for hotelier Ruggles Sylvester Morse, and designed by the New Haven architect Henry Austin. Verandas and ornate windows are some of its many features. Named for Queen Victoria after opening to the public, the mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. Events are held throughout the year.

ABYSSINIAN MEETING HOUSE

One of the highlights on Portland’s two-mile Freedom Trail is this former 1828 house of worship located at 73 Newbury St. Currently undergoing a major renovation to preserve the building’s original character, visitors are encouraged to explore the nation’s third oldest standing African American meeting house and learn about its place in history.

Before falling into disrepair in the 20th century, the building served as a place of worship and activism for Portland’s Black community, which included former enslaved people and Underground Railroad movement leaders. An estimated $1 million in additional funding is needed to restore the landmark’s facade and other features.  

PORTLAND OBSERVATORY

Munjoy Hill wouldn’t be the same without this unique 86-foot wooden landmark at 138 Congress St. Built in 1807 by retired ship captain Lemuel Moody, it is the nation’s last remaining maritime signal tower. Visitors on self-guided and docent-led tours, climbing the  octagonal structure’s 104 steps, enjoy a 360-degree view of Casco Bay.

Now owned by the city of Portland and operated by the nonprofit Greater Portland Landmarks, the observatory has displays explaining how, in earlier times, a telescope and signal flags established communication between ship and shore before a vessel could reach the city’s docks. In 2006, the tower was designated a National Historic Landmark.

TATE HOUSE MUSEUM

Set apart from its modern neighbors at 1267 Westbrook St. is this quiet treasure, dating to 1755. It was built for British native George Tate, who came to Portland with his wife, Mary, to oversee the harvest of white pines used as ship masts for the Royal Navy. Tours point out period house furnishings and herb gardens.

Museum director Holly Hurd highlights the museum’s Colonial nature that is unique in all of Greater Portland. Newer interpretations are more inclusive of the era’s enslaved and indigenous people. Laborers such as Bet, most likely a slave, are mentioned to tourists and school groups who appreciate 18th century Maine life told in a realistic manner.