Old Port Tour

1. Charles Q Clapp Block 103-107 Exchange Italianate, 1866	The rounded corner and deep hip roof of this building create an effective transition from stately Federal Street to the busy mercantile atmosphere of Exchange Street. Originally there was a twin building on the opposite street corner. Both were covered with mastic to simulate stone and land the buildings a more dignified appearance. The rchitect, Charles Quincy Clapp, was self-taught. A prominent Portland real estate speculator, he designed several houses and commercial buildings in strikingly original versions of the current architectural styles.
2. Centennial Block 93-95 Exchange St. Mansard, 1876	The granite for the facade of the Centennial Block came from the Spruce head quarries in Thomaston, Maine. The sandstone came from Nova Scotia. Francis H. Fassett, the building's architect, drew a plan for the building which indicated the shape and color of each stone to be placed in the facade. The Thomaston quarries then chose and cut the stone. The building's owner, Horatio N. Jose, personally supervised the setting of the stones at the building site, where they were fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. This is the only Victorian building constructed in this elaborate fashion; it is a fitting monument to the United States Centennial. In the early twentieth century, the Mansard roof was removed and a fourth story was added above the original cornice.
3. Portland Savings Bank 81-89 Exchange St. Italianate, 1866-67 (Illustrations by Nancy Barba and Carol Lindeman)	Built by the Portland Savings Bank after the 1866 fire, this Victorian Italianate building was designed by prominent Boston Architects, Levi. P. Newcomb and his son Edgar Allen Poe Newcomb. A fire of unknown origin on December 22, 1876 destroyed the mansard roof and top floors. A double hipped roof was constructed, and much later it was replaced by the flat roof seen today. The ground floor front and side windows were remodeled early in this century. However, the rear of the building remains almost unchanged.
4. Tommy's Park Mural Corner of Exchange and Middle Streets 1985 (Illustrations by Nancy Barba and Carol Lindeman)	A recent addition to the Old Port is this dramatic trompe l'oeil (fool-the-eye) mural, designed by local artists, Michael Lewis and Chris Denison. The mural includes architectural elements from the 1867 Post Office building that occupied the lot across Exchange Street until it was demolished in 1965. Eight shades of paint were used to simulate the granite walls which took Denison and assistants 10 weeks to complete. This mural replaces a 1976 mural by Denison which had to be destroyed due to structural problems in the underlying wall. This impressive new"landmark" was made possible by the generous donations from Portland residents and businesses alike and as such is a true example of "public art."
5. Oxford Block 183-187 Middle St. Romanesque Revival, 1886-87	One of Portland's few examples of Romanesque Revival architecture in commercial buildings, the Oxford Block was designed by John Calvin Stevens. Stevens utilized the top floor as his office. The rusticated first floor (with its "rough-cut" stone) and the arched openings are typical of the Romanesque Revival features. The rich surface texture is achieved through the use of various materials -- brick, granite, freestone, and terracotta. The swirling terracotta panels were designed by Stevens as well.
6. Casco Bank Block and Banking House 193-197 Middle Street. 1867
7. Deering, Milliken and Company Block 154-166 Middle Street 1866-1867	A turn-of-the-century fire destroyed the original Mansard roof of the Milliken Building, but the original cast iron facade remained intact across the first story. The decorative brick relief was originally painted to resemble sandstone.
8. Storer Brothers' Block 142-150 Middle St. Queen Anne, 1881	Frances H. Fassett and John Calvin Stevens designed this building with the richly patterned and textured surfaces associated with the Queen Anne style. Pink freestones are used as voussoirs in the window arches and as bands on the pilasters. Dark bricks are used for string courses. Terracotta panels ornament the corner pilasters. The decorative elements of the facade are also carried along both sides of the building. The architectural style of this building contrasts with the more regular pattern and relief of the Italianate style of the Milliken Block to the west.
9. Woodman Block 133-141 Middle St. Mansard, 1867	The Woodman, Rackleff, and Thompson Blocks were all designed by architect George M. Harding, who worked in Portland from the late 1850's to the early 1870's. The three buildings comprise the most elaborate and well-preserved grouping of Mansard-style buildings in the state. The intricate cast iron first story storefronts were made at the nearby Portland Company. The Woodman Block was one of the first commercial buildings to be completed after the Great Fire of 1866. Its straight-sided and semi-circular sandstone window arches are connected by sandstone string courses. The slate Mansard roof is raised to form towers at the corners. Harding "signed" this building at the base of the left corner pilaster on Middle Street.
10. Rackleff Block 129-131 Middle St. Italianate, 1867	The cast iron first story and the window arches on the second and third stories are identical to Harding's Woodman Block. The vertical groupings of the windows, however, are different, emphasizing the corner bay with its double windows. The rounded corner by Church Street forms a transition to the Thompson Block. With its flat roof instead of Mansard, the Rackleff Block is distinguished by the Italianate elements of its façade: the brackets and arches connected by string courses.
11. Thompson Block 117-125 Middle Street Mansard, 1868	The motif of an oak tree, symbolizing strength, is employed for the ornamentation of the Thompson Block. Oak leaves and acorns adorn the alternating rustication blocks, the keystones over the windows and the triangular panels under the wall dormers. The freestone trim is unpainted and its natural color complements the red brick. Cast iron columns are used on the first story facade as in the Woodman and Rackleff Blocks, but the decorations above the windows between the columns is of wood here.
12. First National Bank Block 57 Exchange Street Queen Anne, 1883-84	The First National Bank exhibits the key features of the Queen Anne commercial style: the corner tower, the asymmetrical facade, tall chimneys, and rich surface texture. Blocks and carved pieces of sandstone, rosy terracotta panels with swirling designs, and raised bands of brick are used to form the horizontal stringcourses which balance the vertically grouped windows. Henry Van Brunt and Frank Howe of Boston were the architects.
13. Preble Heirs Block II 41-49 Exchange Street Mansard, 1866-67	The wooden dormer windows, with their bold semi-circular caps, make this building stand out from the neighboring structures. Iron beams with decorative studs form a cornice above the first story shop fronts and support the long flat brick facade. Brick window arches and pilasters, dividing the building into three sections, provide minimal decoration.
14. Widgery Block 38-40 Exchange Street Italianate, 1871	The Thomas family, prominent throughout the development of Portland, built this commercial block. The semi-circular pediment above the corner of the block emphasizes this building by punctuation the otherwise flat roof lines on this side of the street. The storefronts of the Widgery Block are original.
15. Merchants Bank Block 34 Exchange Street Italianate, 1866-67	Matthew Stead designed this building for the Merchants Bank. The Bank lost its first building in the 1866 fire, despite a guarantee that its brick and iron construction was "fireproof." The first story facade of this later building, with its arched recessed entrances and three-part treatment of the center bay, makes this building more impressive than the other commercial structures in this row.
16. Ocean Insurance Co., Proctor Block 15-17 Exchange Street Colonial Revival, 1866-1867	Without historic photographic documentation, one must conjecture the original appearance of the Ocean Insurance Company Block, for the present building -- remained the Proctor Block -- virtually replaced the earlier three story Mansard roofed structure destroyed by fire in 1898. The Mary L. Deering Block next door was also destroyed in this fire and was similarly rebuilt with a flat roof and bay windows. The ground floor appears to date from the 1866-67 building. Its design is fairly typical for Italianate commercial structures. The two shop fronts have central recessed entries and are flanked by display windows on low wood bulkheads; the left half (#17) has multi-paned sash. A double banded granite lower cornice separates the shop fronts from the upper stories which are certainly a product of 1898. Francis H. Fassett, architect for the remodeling, opted for an added floor with a flat, greatly exaggerated, overhanging wood roof on paired brackets in lieu of the former mansard roof. Instead of windows with hoods, maximum light is drawn into the three upper stories by broad tripartite bay windows on each half of the building. They have 1/1 sash and applied swags and wreaths, both motifs favored by Colonial Revival sensibilities. The brick wall surface , though dominated by these colossal bay windows, is enlivened though the use of an overhanging grid pattern which recesses each bay from the corners and divides the building into two halves while also emphasizing, through a projecting stringcourse, the upper added story. In the cross formed by this intersecting raised brick pattern is a stone medallion with the building's name and reconstruction date in relief.
17. Mary L. Deering Block 9-13 Exchange Street 1866-67, Italianate 1889, Colonial Revival	Deering family members have been leading Portland citizens for many generations. The magnificent Deering Oaks Park and Deering Street are part of the legacy which the Deerings have left. A remodeling after a fire in 1898 added design elements of the Colonial Revival style to this otherwise plain Italianate structure. These features are seen in the center bay with its Palladian window on the fourth story and windows framed by classical columns.
18. Thomas Chadwick and William Duran Block 384-392 Fore Street Greek Revival, 1854	Pre-dating the fire of 1866, this building is a fine example of the heavy, "blocky" Greek Revival style. The wide, flat window lintels and sills (granite and freestone), and the continuous granite lintel above the first story are typical of this style. On the side of the building, the wide raised brick cornice and triangular pediment are noteworthy.
19. Seaman's Club 373-375 Fore Street Gothic Revival, 1866	Designed and built by Charles Quincy Clapp shortly after the 1866 fire, this building is noted for its pair of dominant Gothic windows. Three circular medallions, carved in wood, are found within the brick arch surrounding each.
20. Mariner's Church 366-376 Fore Street Federal and Greek Revival, 1828	The first floor shops of this building were originally rented to finance the activities of the Mariner's Church, which occupied the third floor. After serving for several years as a warehouse, the building is in use once again for shops and businesses, though the Church has long since departed. The combination of Federal and Greek Revival architectural styles has created an unusual facade. The overall shape of the building and its windows are Greek Revival. But the delicate cornice outlining the pediment and the fan window are Federal style elements.
21. The State of Maine Armory 20 Milk Street Romanesque Revival, 1895	Designed by Frederick A. Thompson and built by the State of Maine, this structure once housed several National Guard units. Its design was intended to resemble a fortress. The rusticated granite blocks used for the trim lend the Armory its visual strength. The corner turrets and the brick dentils of the cornice also suggest military fortifications.
22. Boothby Square Fore Street 1902	This park was given to the city by Colonel Frederick E. Boothby in 1902. Born in Norway, Maine, Boothby became the General Passenger Agent for the Maine Central Railroad. He served as president of the Board of Trade and was mayor of Portland for three years.
23. Samuel Butts House and Store 332-334 Fore Street Colonial, 1792	This is the second oldest surviving structure on the Portland peninsula. The roof rising close above the windows, the small window openings, and the large central chimney are all distinguishing features of Colonial architecture. A change in the brickwork indicates the addition of the third story at a slightly later date.
24. United States Custom House 312 Fore Street Mansard, 1868-1871	Alfred B. Mullet, the supervising architect for the United States Treasury Department, designed the Custom House. It was built for a cost of $485,000. The light-colored New Hampshire granite used in the construction was meant to simulate more expensive marble. A rusticated lower story on Commercial Street adapts the building to its sloping site. The elaborate interior includes magnificent chandeliers, painted and gilded ceilings, fine crafted woodwork, and marble floors and staircases. Both inside and out, the building retains most of its original appearance.
25. Elias Thomas Block 102-103 Commercial St. Italianate, 1860	The Thomas Block is the largest mid-nineteenth century commercial structure erected on Commercial Street. The building is divided in eight sections, each with three windows facing the street. Together the bays form a concave curve which fits the arc of Commercial Street. The plain brick facade is enlivened by the bracketed cornice with its central pediment, and by the granite windows sills and lintels. The merchants who built the block named it for Elias Thomas who donated the clock on the pediment. The block has been renovated for modern uses. Accommodation of elevators and other modern services has resulted in the redesigning of the building's entrance on Commercial Street.

History of the Old Port Area

Attracted by the deep, sheltered harbor, English settlers first established themselves on the Portland peninsula in 1632. One of the nation's oldest Atlantic seaports, Portland has had a long maritime history.

The struggling town (then called "Falmouth") was destroyed twice by the Indians during the seventeenth century. From 1718 until the Revolution, it prospered as a major British lumber port. However, strong support for the revolutionary cause angered British officials. On October 18,1775, Captain Henry Mowatt bombarded Portland from the harbor. Four hundred fourteen of the settlement's five hundred buildings were destroyed.

After the Revolution, Portland was rebuilt and established once again as a commercial port. Lumber was exported to the West Indies, exchanged for molasses and manufactured into rum to be sold in markets along the Atlantic coast. Portland prospered until the Embargo Act of 1807 closed the harbor.

Not until the 1820's did Portland recover from the economic decline brought on by the Embargo Act and the War of 1812. A combination of new local industries, coastal steamships, and railroads linking the city to Canada and the West established Portland's commercial pre-eminence, causing the harbor to thrive again. Large shipping and mercantile companies were established in Portland, especially in the Old Port area. The area which now forms Commercial Street was created by a landfill between 1850 and 1852. Wharves, stores and warehouses soon lined the street, spilling over from nearby Fore Street.

Although Portland sent men and money to the Civil War, the harbor was not affected by the war effort. However, on July 4, 1866, fire swept through the city burning much of the business core of the city which was centered around the port area. Parts of Fore Street and most of Middle and Exchange Streets were destroyed by the blaze. Many businesses were lost and 10,000 people left homeless after the fire. Recovery from the Great Fire was extraordinarily rapid. By the early 1870's the burned area had been rebuilt in grand Victorian style, demonstrating the city's economic resilience.

Again, Portland thrived as a major commercial center. Coastal and transatlantic steamers used the harbor. Portland was a major railroad terminus bringing summer tourists in droves. Quantities of lumber, grain, livestock, and other cargoes were shipped from the port. Despite the economic changes of the twentieth century, Portland remains the most important commercial center in Maine and a major oil port for Canada. Because many of the buildings erected during the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth century remain, the history and development of the commercial area can still be seen and experienced.

With the resurgence of activity on the waterfront, the commercial growth continues. Interest in historic preservation and urban lifestyles have led many to undertake the recycling of some of the area's splendid buildings. Restaurants, offices and art galleries now exist side by side with sailmakers and chandlers. The City of Portland has dedicated itself to maintaining the area as a "working harbor," full of the sights, sounds, and smells of the sea.