2014 Visitor's Guide

S TART E XPLORING G REATER P ORTLAND ’ S R ICH H ISTORY H ERE ! • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

E ASTERN C EMETERY , EST . 1668 Several notables are buried in Portland’s oldest cemetery, including the first person killed in the Civil War, five Congressmen, and two captains who were killed fighting against each other in a decisive naval battle during the War of 1812. Over time, the entrance was moved to Congress Street, at what was originally the back of the cemetery where the less fortunate were laid to rest, instead of beside the graves of more prominent citizens located at the original entrance. T ATE H OUSE , 1755 Built for Captain George Tate, a mast agent for the British Royal Navy, this is the only pre-revolutionary home in Greater Portland open to the public. Captain Tate oversaw the cutting and shipping of white pines fromMaine to England. The trees, which were deemed the property of the King, were marked with the sign of a broad arrow (three axe slashes), a sign that came to symbolize the tyranny of the Crown and its policies of eminent domain that helped foment revolution in the Province of Maine. L ONGFELLOW H OUSE , 1785-86 Boyhood home of beloved poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the residence housed three generations of one remark- able family. The house is the oldest structure standing on the Portland peninsula and the only single-family residence to survive from the time when Congress Street was a neighborhood on the edge of town. Most of the household items and artifacts are original to the Wadsworth and Longfellow families. P ORTLAND O BSERVATORY , 1807 In 1807, ships entering the harbor could not be seen from Portland’s docks, a problem for merchants needing to prepare to unload their cargos. Sea captain turned entrepreneur, Lemuel Moody, solved the

V ICTORIA M ANSION , 1858-60 The Italian villa-style home built for Ruggles Sylvester More, a Maine native who made his fortune as the proprietor of luxury hotels, is an unparalleled example of pre-Civil War grandeur. The elaborate interiors designed by Gustave Herter are his only commission to survive intact. About 90% of the original furnishings remain in the mansion. P ORTLAND F REEDOM T RAIL 16 marked sites recognize people associ- ated with the Underground Railroad and the anti-slavery movement in Portland. Eastern Cemetery was chosen as the first site to be unveiled on the trail in honor of the final resting place of many of Portland’s abolitionist leaders. Download a walking tour map from PortlandFreedomTrail.org. I RISH H ERITAGE C ENTER Formerly Saint Dominic’s, this restored landmark promotes Irish culture and heritage by telling the story of the vibrant immigrant community in Maine in the 1800s and 1900s. The famous Hollywood director John Ford (née Feeney) was born into this community and the Irish watering hole Bull Feeney’s on Fore Street bears his nickname. The Center contains a museum and archives located in the former sanctuary and also houses Maine’s Irish Genealogical Center. A RCHITECTURAL W ALKING T OURS Join Greater Portland Landmarks on a walking tour to examine the homes of Portland’s golden age or explore on your own with self-guided tours of four neighbor- hoods: Congress Street, State Street, West- ern Promenade and the Old Port. Interactive maps available at portlandlandmarks.org or purchase printed tours at the Ocean Gate- way Visitor Information Center.

problem by building an 86’ tower from which he could signal the arrival of commercial ships whose owners paid to have their flags hoisted up flagstaffs when their ships were sighted entering Portland Harbor. Climb the tower stairs for spectac- ular views from the last surviving maritime signal tower in the US.

F IRST P ARISH C HURCH , 1825 Old Jerusalem, Portland’s oldest house of worship, was built in 1740 and stood until 1825 when it was replaced by the current church. The wood steeple is original. First Parish retains a cannonball in its chandelier that was lodged in the church walls during the British destruction of Portland in 1775. F ORT G ORGES , 1865 The octagonal fort off Portland’s eastern shore was built just as the Civil War ended. Modern explosives made the fort obsolete before it was even completed and no shots were ever fired from this outpost. The island fort is open to the public as a park, accessible only by private boat.

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